YuGiOh! Balance
by Skyla Doragono
Summary: Year three at Hogwarts. It's just another year, another adventure, a new DADA teacher, and a mysterious Egyptian magic teacher who's taken a lot of interest in Draco...
1. Morning Antics at the Mutou House

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER ONE – MORNING ANTICS AT THE MUTOU HOUSE**

At eight 'o clock in the morning, the children of the Mutou residence atop the Kame Game Shop in Domino City, Japan were _normally_ still fast asleep. However, if one pressed their ear against the door closest to the stairs, they might be able to hear the sound of a cloth rubbing on metal. Inside the small bedroom, a short young boy was sitting cross-legged on his makeshift bed on the floor. He had a soft cloth in one hand and a gleaming trophy in the other, which reflected the huge smile on his face.

Suddenly a drowsy voice came behind him. "Draco-kun, no matter how much you shine that thing, it's not going to get any shinier."

Draco Malfoy looked over his shoulder at his companion on the bed, a grin on his face.

"I can't help it!" he exclaimed softly. "It was my first tournament and I got third place."

Yugi Mutou just raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and…?"

Draco rolled his eyes as he stood up, going over to a shelf on the other side of the room. He placed his trophy on it, next to three similarly styled trophies and one, much larger one. Okay, so the third place trophy for the third annual Battle City Tournament did not look nearly as impressive as Yugi's three first place Battle City trophies and one Duelist Kingdom grand champion trophy, but it was a start. Draco smiled broadly at his accomplishment while Yugi just rolled over in bed.

"Go back to sleep, Draco-kun," he muttered. Draco frowned before jumping onto the bed, forcing Yugi to sit up.

"C'mon!" Draco exclaimed. "It's past eight, we may as well get up now."

Yugi just glared. The deceptively older boy was by all means _not_ a morning person, and neither was his other half, the spirit of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh everyone fondly called Yami Yugi. He was about to open his mouth to say something, when a black, brown, and white speckled owl swooped in through the window. Resigned to waking up two hours earlier than normal, Yugi held out an arm for Panseru the owl to land on, before taking the envelope he had tied to his leg.

"Hey, it's from Ron," he announced as he opened it up and shook out a folded piece of papyrus of all things and a newspaper clipping. Yugi grabbed the clipping first as Panseru flew off to find some food, smoothing it out before reading aloud:

**MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE  
SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE **

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle  
Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has  
won the annual _Daily Prophet_ Grand Prize  
Galleon Draw.

A delighted Mr. Weasley told the _Daily Prophet,  
_"We will be spending the gold on a summer  
holiday in Egypt, where our elder son, Bill, works  
as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."

The Weasley family will be spending a month in  
Egypt, returning for the start of the new school  
year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley  
children currently attend.

"Wow," Draco muttered after he finished, "that money will really help them out."

Yugi was about to ask if he knew how much the prize was, when a voice said over his shoulder, "So, he went to Egypt, hunh?"

Draco jumped in surprise, lost his balance, and fell clear off the bed, landing on the floor with a thud. Yugi looked up to see his darker half hovering over his shoulder, faded and translucent as always, observing the picture that came with the article of the seven Weasleys they knew – and one they did not – waving energetically while standing in front of a large pyramid. Draco, in the meantime, climbed back up to his knees, using the side of the bed as support.

"I really hate it when you do that," he declared icily. "Can't you, like, give the rest of us some warning when you're about to show up?"

"You'll get used to it, Draco-kun," Yugi chirped happily.

"I've been living with you for three months, starfish-head," he replied, a note of humor in his voice at using his old name for him. "Guess what: I'm still not used to it."

Yugi chuckled as he picked up the letter that had fallen out. It was written in Ron's untidy scrawl, and it took a moment for him to be able to decipher it.

_Dear Yugi and Draco,_

_How's the summer over in Japan? Hope you're  
both doing well._

_It's amazing here in Egypt! Bill's taken us to see  
most of the tombs. You should see some of the  
curses the Egyptian wizards put on them! There  
was this one that had mutant skeletons of muggles  
that had tried to break in (ask Yami Yugi if he  
knows anything about that one, I'd love to hear  
his reaction). I bet you'll be learning a lot of them  
in Ancient Egyptian magic next year._

_Speaking of which, I met this guy here that says  
he knows you, Yugi. Kept asking me how you  
were doing and stuff. Weird one that; he had  
something that looked like an ankh around his  
neck. He said he'd be seeing you soon. I hope  
that's not a bad thing._

_Anyway, we'll be back a week before term  
starts to pick up school supplies. Thankfully, I'll  
be getting a new wand when we go shopping.  
You think we could all meet then?_

_Try and come to London!_

_Ron_

_PS: Percy's made head boy. That's all he's  
been talking about since he got his letter._

Both Yugi and Yami Yugi seemed to have the same look of disgust and displeasure on their face. Draco looked between the two of them, confused. They did not fill him in on the details though; they started talking to each other as if he were not there, a habit they had that annoyed him to no end.

"It had to have been _him_ he was talking about," Yami Yugi declared, starting to pace back and forth. "What could he possibly want now?"

"Well, the Millennium Items have been choosing new owners," Yugi pointed out. "Hermione's proof of that. Maybe he knows who's been chosen by the Ankh and the Scale?"

"If he does, I doubt I'd like how he found out," Yami Yugi grumbled, stopping in mid pace and running a hand through his bangs. "The last thing we need is another mad man running around with an insanely powerful Kami-no-Cardo, hell-bent on killing us."

Yugi giggled at that, wondering what Marik would say. In the meantime, Draco had his arms crossed on the bed, his head resting on them. He looked back and forth between the spirit and his hikari, a bit of an annoyed look on his face.

"Do you mind on filling me in?" he asked.

Yugi chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Draco-kun," he said. "If it turns out to be really important, then we'll tell you."

Just then, another owl dived in through the window. It dropped off a large parcel and a few envelopes on Yugi's lap before fluttering up and landing on the top most spike of his hair. Yugi glared up at the bird as Draco and Yami Yugi started howling with laughter.

"That is _not_ a perch!" he exclaimed, swatting the animal away. The owl hooted angrily before diving back out the window. Yugi grumbled angrily before reaching for the first envelope. It was their letter from Hogwarts, with the usual odd address on the front.

Mr. Y. Mutou and Mr. D. Malfoy  
The Bedroom next to the Stairs  
Kame Game Shop  
Domino City  
Japan

Yugi broke the wax seal on the back and shook out several enclosed pieces of parchment. Him, Draco, and Yami Yugi pressed their heads together as they read over the main note.

Dear Mr. Mutou and Mr. Malfoy,

Please note that the new school year will begin on  
September the first. The Hogwarts Express will  
leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and  
three-quarters, at eleven o' clock.

Third years are permitted to visit the village of  
Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the  
enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian  
to sign.

A list of books for next year is enclosed.

Yours sincerely,

_Professor M. McGonagall  
_Deputy Headmistress

"All right! Hogsmeade!" Draco exclaimed, grabbing up his permission form. "This is going to be great! I've heard they've got loads of different stuff there. You'll really like it, Yugi… Yugi?"

Yugi was not paying attention, however. His focus was drawn to the parcel that the owl had dropped off. He could have _sworn_ he saw it move. Reaching for it, he managed to get a hand on it, when it _growled_ at him. He snapped his hand away from it, a bit freaked out.

"What the hell…?" Draco began.

"Yami Yugi-kun, why don't you open it?" Yugi asked, looking up to his other half. "It can't really hurt you in that form."

Yami Yugi raised an eyebrow, but otherwise did not comment as he picked up the parcel. He tore it open, and caught sight of a beautiful green book cover with gold lettering marking the book as _The Monster Book of Monsters,_ when the book suddenly flipped up on its side and jumped out of his hands, revealing a second book underneath. That book too jumped out of his hands, and soon they had two green books scuttling about the room.

Draco and Yugi dived after one of the books before it could scuttle under the desk. Draco got his hands on it, but ended up backing away from it, howling in pain.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed. "It _bit_ me!"

Yugi managed to grab the book as Draco nursed his hand. The book started munching on his shirt as he rushed to his closet. He grabbed one of his many belts out of the closet and wrapped it tightly around it. Looking down at his pajama shirt sadly, he tossed the shuddering book onto his desk before he caught the sound of his door opening. He turned to see that the other book was scratching at the door like a dog, forcing it open.

"Don't let that out in the hall!" he shouted.

Yami Yugi leapt forward, slamming the door closed before the book could get out. Angry, the book turned on him and bit him on the foot. The spirit let out a yelp, limping away from it as quickly as he could. He may not be able to be hurt in the form he was in, but he could still feel the pain. Draco dived for the last book, coming back up with it struggling in his arms. Yugi tossed him a belt, and the younger boy managed to secure it around the book before tossing it on the desk with the other book and collapsing to the floor.

Yugi plopped down in his desk chair, and Yami Yugi flopped onto his bed, when someone knocked on the door.

"Yugi, honey, what's going on in there?" Yugi's mother said from the other side of the door.

"We're fine, oka-san," Yugi replied, breathing heavily. "Just had to catch a couple books, that's all."

He could just picture the frown on his mother's face, but she did not enter the room. "Well, breakfast is ready, and your grandfather wants both of you to help him in the shop today."

Both Draco and Yugi groaned.

"But, oka-san…!" Yugi protested.

"No buts!" his mother returned, a bit sharply. "You skipped out on it yesterday to go to the arcade, and your grandfather got a large shipment that he had to put away _by himself._ Now, get moving you two! If both of you aren't downstairs in time for opening, your _both_ grounded."

Yugi and Draco sprung into action at that, scrambling to get dressed. Yugi's mother was not normally so sharp, but when she said that they would be grounded that meant no television (or veletision as Draco called it), no computer, no Playstation 2, no arcade, and _no dueling._ That alone was enough persuasion to get the two of them moving quickly.

Yugi was hopping up and down on one foot, struggling to put on a boot, as he saw his other half reading the second note that the last owl had delivered. The Egyptian spirit had a half humored; half annoyed look on his face.

"What is it?" Yugi asked.

"Hagrid," Yami Yugi replied. "He's the one that sent us these books."

"Gee, how nice of him," Draco said dryly, slipping his favorite, tunic-like shirt over his head. "Why the heck would he send us a book like _that!" _

"This _is_ Hagrid we're talking about," Yugi answered. "He has a hard time determining the difference between dangerous and kawaii."

"Hunh?"

"Cute."

"Oh."

-.oOOo.-

Yugi collapsed into bed that night, exhausted from a hard days work and from waking up so early that morning. Fingering the Millennium Puzzle lightly, he found himself staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Him, Draco, Seto Kaiba, Marik Ishitar, and Ryou Bakura (as well as their respective "yamis") would be going back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry soon. Under normal circumstances, he would have been excited, but he could not help but think about the note Ron had sent him.

It had to have been Shadi that the younger boy had encountered in Egypt. After all, who else could it have been? Not many people went walking around with Ankhs around their necks, even in that country. It made him nervous that he would "be seeing him soon".

"Deep thoughts, aibou?"

Yugi turned slightly to see his other half lying on the bed in this opposite direction, his hand propping up his head. He smiled at the spirit in spite of the mood he was in.

"I just can't help but wonder what Shadi really wants with us now," he replied. "I mean, he did enough damage by giving Pegasus the Eye, and then telling Marik some crazy story after his other self killed his father. His track record so far hasn't been too great."

Yami Yugi chuckled at his wording, flopping onto his back. "Well, you know, the only way we're going to know for sure what he wants is when we see him."

"Yeah," Yugi agreed. A sudden thought occurred to him then, and his face scrunched up at it. "Hey, you don't think Shadi was hired to teach Ancient Egyptian Magic, do you?"

A strange sound escaped from Yami Yugi's mouth. "I honestly can't picture _him_ as a teacher," he replied. He twisted around in bed, coming up to lie along side his hikari properly. "Aibou, the only thing we can really do is go to school, and go through it like any other year."

Yugi smirked. "'Like any other year'," he repeated. "You mean, running around, hunting down clues for mysterious circumstances, and ducking away from three headed dogs or gigantic snakes?"

Yami Yugi sweatdropped. "Okay… so hopefully not _exactly_ like every year."


	2. He's at Hogwarts

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER TWO – "HE'S AT HOGWARTS…"**

A few days later found Draco with his face pressed firmly against one of the windows on Seto Kaiba's private plane. Yugi and Marik were too busy dueling, and Bakura was in a deep conversation with his other half, to notice him, but Seto did. He chuckled, moving from his seat on the spacious plane to sit next to the younger English boy. Draco turned to him as he sat down, a broad smile on his face.

"This is much better than that helichopter we took to Japan last year," he stated. Seto fought back a sweatdrop; him and the others had long since given up on trying to correct him when he mispronounced common Muggle terms.

"I bet you can't wait to go back to Hogwarts," Seto said. "It must be nice going back to a place that your more familiar with after so long."

"Not really," Draco admitted, shaking his head. "The only problem I had with Japan was I couldn't understand most of the people. I felt very comfortable there."

Seto chuckled in spite of himself. "That's good, and look at it this way, you got a head start on Muggle Studies this year."

Draco jumped at that. "Speaking of which, do you have a veletision on here?"

Seto smirked; he always enjoyed the opportunity to show off. He pressed a button on the armrest, and a small television screen descended from a hidden compartment in the luggage rack above. He watched Draco as he fiddled a bit with the switches on the screen, trying to find an English Muggle news channel.

Seto could not help but have a… paternal feeling when it came to Draco. The young English boy reminded him a lot of himself; a formerly stuck-up, snobbish child who had learned the error of his ways and learned what it truly meant to be human. There was only one outstanding difference between the two of them: Draco had managed to break away from his father. That was something the Seto had been trying to do since Gonzarou Kaiba died, but somehow anytime he tried to, he failed miserably (the _still_ dysfunctional magical dueling board was a good example of this).

Further musings on his part were interrupted by a shout next to him. Seto turned to see that Draco had a horrified look on his face as he stared at the television screen, transfixed. On the screen was the picture of an ugly brute of a man, with sunken features and a tangled mat of black hair.

"…The public is warned," the reporter was saying, "that Black is armed and extremely dangerous. The special hot line is still in effect, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately."

"Extremely dangerous is an understatement!" Draco exclaimed. All the commotion had drawn Yugi, Marik, Bakura, and Yami Bakura to the screen as well. The tomb robber was hanging over their seats, a bit of a bored look on his face.

"So?" he asked. "What would you care about a Muggle criminal, Draco?"

Draco fixed him with an incredulous look, as if he could not believe he did not know. "If he's a Muggle criminal, then I'm still in Slytherin house," he declared. "That's _Sirius Black!" _

Everyone just looked at him, confused. Draco hit himself in the forehead.

"I can't believe you guys don't know about Sirius Black…" he muttered.

"So who is he?" Marik asked, his hands on his hips.

"He's one of the worst criminals to ever be put in Azkaban," Draco explained, his voice hushed, as if he were afraid Black was on the plane with them. "He killed twelve Muggles and one wizard with a single curse, and it's rumored that he was the heir apparent to Lord Voldemort."

A strange sound escaped Bakura's mouth. "And now he's _loose!" _

Yami Bakura rolled his eyes, a sneer on his face. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, hikari."

Bakura sweatdropped. Meanwhile, Draco looked like he was going to say more, but he shook his head, deciding against it.

"Well, I hope everything will be normal at the school," Yugi said. "I hope we don't have to go through any of that 'increased security' garbage that they do in America."

-.oOOo.-

One plane landing and several taxi cabs later found Seto, Marik, Yugi, Bakura, and Draco standing outside the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. They entered the musty bar, to find that it was empty for the most part. Yugi bounded up to the counter almost immediately, where the barkeeper Tom was standing as always.

"Oy there Yugi!" Tom exclaimed. "Good to see you again."

"Good to see you too, Tom-san," Yugi returned. "Do you have rooms for us?"

"Aye," Tom replied, reaching under the counter. "Business has been pretty slow lately. Erm… have you heard…?"

"Yeah, we saw it on the Muggle news," Draco answered, lugging his trunk behind him as he joined Yugi at the counter. "Any word on how he escaped? I thought _no one_ could get past the Azkaban guards."

Tom's voice dropped to a whisper. "Well, he was the right hand man of You-Know-Who," he said. "I wouldn't put anything past 'em." He raised his voice again. "Now, how 'bout them rooms?"

The five of them followed Tom up the narrow staircase that led to the rooms above the Leaky Cauldron. The barkeeper gave each of them a key to a room before going back down to tend the bar. They each deposited their belongings in the room (Marik's bed said it was nice to see him again), and slipped on their Hogwarts cloaks before reconvening in the hallway, school supplies list in their hands.

"D'ya think we should take care of our shopping right away?" Draco asked. "I mean, we have a whole two weeks to do it."

"We may as well," Seto said, looking over his list. "This way we can enjoy ourselves for the rest of the time."

They were about to head down to the back of the Leaky Cauldron, where the entrance to Diagon Alley was hidden, when a door opened up in front of them, nearly whacking Bakura in the nose. A small, dark haired boy with large glasses and green eyes emerged from behind the door, and let out a shout of surprise when he saw them.

"Are you all right?" Harry Potter asked. "I didn't realize someone was coming down the hall."

"Harry-kun!" Yugi exclaimed happily. "What are you doing here?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "That's… a _very _long story," he replied, looking like he did not want to tell it. Fortunately, Marik saved him from doing so.

"We were just about to head down to Diagon Ally, wanna come?"

Harry nodded. "That's where I was heading too."

They went back down into the bar and out the back, to the supposedly solid brick wall. Seto tapped the third brick from the left above the garbage can, and the way into Diagon Ally was revealed. The six of them walked casually down the street, passing by several shops and pressing their way through crowds of wizards until they reached Gringotts bank.

"That reminds me, Draco," Bakura began as they entered the crooked white building. "Didn't Mutou Ojii-san give you money to be exchanged?"

Draco waved a dismissive hand. "I've got my own account in Gringotts with my own small fortune in it," he explained. He chuckled then. "Good thing my father can't touch it. I'll need to get a new broom this year. That damned bludger totally destroyed my old one."

A bit of a guilty look crossed Harry's face. "Sorry about that, Draco," he apologized, but Draco waved that off as well.

"I don't blame you, I blame Dobby," he replied. "Damned house elf should have had better methods." He rubbed his arm a bit self-consciously then. "Oh, yes, and I blame Lockhart as well. Bloody idiot…"

A goblin guide took Draco and Harry down to the vaults below, while the four foreign boys exchanged their money at the front desk. Then it was back off into the streets of the Ally, passing by various shops as Draco tugged them all excitedly toward Quality Quidditch Supplies. There was an unusual amount of activity around that store, and the reason why became apparent as soon as they managed to get close to the window. A truly magnificent broom was mounted on a display in the window, with a large sign under it.

**THE FIREBOLT**

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A  
STREAMLINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED  
WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED  
WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH  
INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL  
HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING  
THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT  
PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150  
MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN  
UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.

It took awhile to tear Harry, Marik, and Draco from the superb broom in the window. Little puddles of drool had formed around their feet before Yugi managed to convince them that "price on request" meant "more than you could afford in your lifetime". Draco had to go inside the store anyway, and he kept taking furtive glances at the Firebolt as he picked up a new Nimbus 2001 to replace his destroyed broom.

From there, it was off to the Apothecary to replenish their Potions supplies, and then to the stationary store to pick up more parchment, ink, and quills. Then they had to go Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, as Harry and Draco had both outgrown their old robes. Lastly, they went to the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, to pick up their course books. The six boys got a bit of a surprise when they came to the store window. Instead of the typical display of neat books, there was a cage filled with the same vicious green books Draco and Yugi had received.

"Ah, so _that's_ why Hagrid sent me that book," Bakura muttered, looking down at his list of necessary supplies. "It's the book we need for Care of Magical Creatures."

"You got a book from him too, Bakura-kun?" Marik asked, looking over his shoulder to see what else he had.

"Yeah, and it was a certifiable nightmare trying to get it under control," Bakura replied. "Anyway, I'm taking that class, Study of Ancient Runes, and –" He frowned a bit – "Ancient Egyptian Magic."

"You don't sound so enthused," Harry pointed out.

Bakura just sighed. "Yami Bakura-kun threatened he'd drop kick me into the Shadow Realm if I didn't take that course."

Seto smirked as he looked at his supply list. "Well, don't feel bad. My other self kept poking me in the back of my neck until I finally checked that course just so he'd shut up," he explained, a bit of a humored note in his voice. "In any event, I'm taking Arithmancy, Divination, and Ancient Egyptian Magic."

Yugi just stared at him. "You're joking, right? _You're _taking Divination?"

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"

Yugi shrugged nonchalantly. "No, not really. I just find it odd that someone who ordered his Blue Eyes to, and I quote, 'destroy the future', is willingly taking Divination."

Seto sweatdropped slightly, but otherwise did not comment as they went into the store. The harassed looking manager came up to them, leaning heavily on his walking stick.

"Hogwarts, are you?" he asked.

"Erm… yeah," Harry answered.

"Out of the way then," the manager said rather rudely, pulling on a thick pair of gloves and heading for the _Monster Book_'s cage.

"Hold on, we already have a copy of that one," Yugi said before he could put his hands in the cage. The manager seemed to melt in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness," he said, taking the gloves back off. "I've been bitten twice already. I am _never_ stocking these books again! I thought we had seen the worst of it when we ordered two hundred copies of _The Invisible Book of Invisibility._ Cost a fortune, and we never found them. Well, how might I help you gentlemen?"

"We're going to need six copies each of _Intermediate Transfiguration_ and _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three,"_ Seto answered, decided to speak for everyone, looking over shoulders to see supply lists. He rambled off several more book names, and the manager scrambled to get them all, coming back with armfuls at a time.

They left the shop a few minutes later, loaded down with their new course books and other supplies (and Draco with his new broom slung over his shoulder). They stopped back at the Leaky Cauldron to drop everything off, before heading back into the Ally to stop at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor for peanut butter and cherry sundaes. The six boys took that opportunity to catch up with Harry, who finally revealed why he was staying at the Leaky Cauldron.

"You _blew up _your aunt!" Draco exclaimed, hardly believing it.

Harry found his feet interesting at that. "Well, it _was_ an accident," he said. "Fudge was nice enough to let me off with only a reprimand."

"Still, Harry-kun, that's the greatest," Marik added, a devilish grin on his face. "I would have paid to see that. When can you do it again?"

"Marik-kun!" Bakura admonished. "It isn't funny!"

_Yes it is,_ Yami Bakura corrected within his mind, chuckling.

_Don't you encourage him!_ Bakura shot back.

Harry, however, had shaken his head at Marik's question, a bit of a smile on his face.

"No, it's okay, Bakura," he said, swallowing the last bit of his ice cream. "I don't really care for my aunt anyway. Besides, I'm just glad to be able to still go to Hogwarts."

Finished with their treat, they got up and started to head back to the Leaky Cauldron. They were about half way there, when they heard a cold, slightly high pitch voice behind them.

"Oy, I was wondering when I would run into _you,"_ the voice sneered.

Draco seemed to totally freeze up. Yugi looked up at him, surprised by his reaction, as they all turned to see who had said that. Behind them was a stout-looking girl with finely chiseled features. Her brown hair spilled about her shoulders, and had golden highlights that made her seem to glow in the waning sunlight. She had very pale skin, and was almost as pale as Draco had been before he came to live in Japan. She also had bright green eyes, almost the same shade as his. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she had a bit of a stubborn pout on her face.

"Well?" she sneered. "Don't I even get a 'hello' from my baby cousin?"

Draco's whole face seemed to turn down into a frown. "I'm younger than you by a month," he growled out. "That doesn't give you any right to call me your 'baby' cousin, Ecillia."

Ecillia just played with a lock of her hair, bored. "Whatever, whatever," she replied. "You better be nice to me, though, Draco honey."

"And _why_ in God's name would I want to do that?" he said, matching her tone.

She smirked. "Because, we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other," she replied.

"What are you talking about?" Draco demanded. "You go to Durmstrang… What _are_ you doing here?"

Ecillia smiled pleasantly, though Yugi was reminded of a cat that had just cornered its prey.

"Why, that's very simple, Draco honey," she answered. "I've transferred from Durmstrang to Slytherin House at Hogwarts."

Draco looked like he was going to be sick. Ecillia just smirked.

"Have fun, Draco honey," she said, starting to walk away. "Oh, and your father sends his love."

"Yeah, right," Draco muttered as she disappeared into the crowd. He turned to the others then, a bit of a thoughtful look on his face. "Was I ever that bad?" he asked.

"Worse," Marik replied, a bit of a smirk on his face.

Draco sighed. "No wonder I ended up in a bug jar…"

-.oOOo.-

Ron, Hermione, and their families arrived at the Leaky Cauldron a few days later. Ron talked excitedly about his trip to Egypt as they made their way through Diagon Ally so the two of them could pick up their supplies. Their first stop was the Magical Menagerie, however, as Ron's rat, Scabbers, needed to be tended to. The rat had not been looking well since the Weasleys had returned from Egypt, and while Ron haggled with the woman behind the counter, everyone else was looking around.

Yugi was watching some purple toads croaking in their glass, when someone shouted, _"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" _

He turned just in time to see what was either a really large tabby cat or a small tiger land on Ron's head before pouncing on Scabbers. The rat squealed as Ron started shouting, and soon Scabbers was taking off out the door. Yugi went after the rat right away, finding him hiding under a barrel near Quality Quidditch Supplies. He reached a hand toward him, and closed it around the trembling rat.

"It's okay, Scabbers," he cooed, stroking the rat's head in an effort to calm him. "It's okay, that cat can't hurt you anymore… and… I can't believe I'm talking to a rat…"

Just then, Ron and Harry rejoined him outside, and the former gratefully took his rat back.

"Where's the others?" Yugi asked.

"Helping Hermione pick out… oh no!"

Hermione came back out of the Magical Menagerie, carrying an armload of ginger fur in her arms. It was the cat that had jumped on Ron, and it was hissing at Scabbers as she got closer. The others followed her out of the shop, Marik with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"Sorry, Ron-kun," he said. "I tried to talk her out of it."

"But Crookshanks is so cute!" Hermione exclaimed.

Yugi got a good look at Crookshanks as Ron quickly hid Scabbers in his cloak. The cat's face looked like a bus had smashed it in. He sweatdropped at the thought.

"Yeah, really cute…"

-.oOOo.-

The night before they had to go King's Cross station and back to Hogwarts, Yugi had packed up his suitcases and collapsed into bed, so exhausted he forgot to take off the Millennium Puzzle before he fell asleep. That did not matter, however, as he was quickly shaken awake. He stared up, bleary eyed, at Harry's concerned face.

"What…?" Yugi moaned.

"Yugi, I just heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking," he said urgently.

"So? Can't this wait till tomorrow?" Yugi returned.

"No, it's about Sirius Black."

Yugi woke up very quick. "What about him?"

"He's after me," Harry stated.

Yugi raised an eyebrow, confused. "How do you know that for sure?"

"Because," Harry urged, "I heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing. Mr. Weasley said that before Black escaped from Azkaban, he kept mumbling, 'He's at Hogwarts'."

"So?" the older boy repeated. "Do you know how many guys go to Hogwarts? How do you know he means you?"

Harry fixed him with an annoyed look. "Yugi, haven't you been paying attention?" he asked. "Black was Voldemort's right hand man. Without Voldemort, he's nothing. I nearly destroyed him the first time, to the point where he became nothing more than a spirit. I don't know about you, but I think it's a pretty good chance that he's after me."


	3. The Dementors

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER THREE – THE DEMENTOR**

Yugi gradually awoke the next morning, but he did not open his eyes. He knew he should get moving, after all, the Ministry was providing them with transportation to King's Cross station, and they had to be there before eleven to catch the train that would take them to Hogwarts for their third year. However, he just could not bring himself to move. It was so comfortable, curled up against something soft and warm (probably his blankets), that he just did not want to move.

Just then, he caught the sound of hushed whispers close by, as if the people in question were right next to him.

"Don't you think we should wake them up?" That was Bakura.

"No way!" his other half hissed, trying hard to conceal a laugh. "I think we should go get a camera. I could use this for blackmail later on."

"I'm _sure_ it was an accident," came Yami Seto's terse reply.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Marik responded, trying to suppress a laugh. "Next thing you're going to say is he fell out of the Puzzle in that position."

"It does look a little… questionable," Seto agreed.

"Am I the only one who's on Bakura's side in this? Harry? Draco?" That was Yami Seto again.

"Um… no comment," Harry whispered.

"I dunno," Draco said thoughtfully. "He's always calling him 'aibou' right? Isn't 'ai' the Japanese word for 'love'?"

"Yeah, but 'aibou' means 'partner'," Marik corrected. "Though, you do have a good point. First time I heard him call Yugi aibou, he totally blushed."

"Uh-oh, he's waking up…"

Total silence reigned for a good minute after Bakura's announcement, after which Yugi heard a strangled gasp. He opened his eyes and had to bite back his own shout of surprise. What he had previously mistaken for his blankets that he was curled up against was in fact, his other half. Yami Yugi's normally narrow eyes were wide with shock; he had his arm draped over his hikari, as if he had been holding him tightly throughout the whole night.

It took two seconds for their shocked and sleep fogged brains to compute what they had just opened their eyes to. After that time, they both let out a yelp of surprise and jumped violently away from each other. They got tangled in the bed sheets, however, and ended up tumbling to the floor on opposite sides of the bed with a painful 'thunk'. This was soon followed by two more thuds to the floor; Yami Bakura and Marik were literally rolling on the floor, laughing so hard it looked like their heads were going to fall off.

Harry went to help Yugi to his feet while Yami Seto helped his cousin stand.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked. "How'd that happen?"

Yugi looked down where, around his neck, the Millennium Puzzle was dangling. Apparently, even though Harry had interrupted his sleep, he had still forgotten to take the Puzzle off before he went back to bed. That had never happened before – he always took it off before he went to sleep – but he never expected something like _that_ to happen.

"I dunno," Yugi answered truthfully. "Probably because I fell asleep with the Puzzle on."

Meanwhile, Yami Bakura was still sniggering. He started in a quiet sing-song voice, "Panseru and Yugi, sittin' in a tree; F-U-C –"

"Finish that, tomb robber," Yami Yugi interrupted, "and I swear you'll be doing the backstroke in the Shadow Realm before you can start the next verse."

-.oOOo.-

The ride to King's Cross was quiet, cramped, and rather unmemorable. It was not long before they all found themselves on the Hogwarts Express once again. Ron had sent his sister away, the twins had gone off with their friend Lee Jordan, and Percy had disappeared into a private compartment with his girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater. That left Yugi, Seto, Bakura, Marik, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco to find a compartment for themselves that was big enough to fit everyone. The only available place on the train, however, already had a raggedy scrap of a man lying across some of the seats, fast asleep.

Seto raised an eyebrow at the sight of him. "Don't they have homeless shelters for people like him?"

Hermione elbowed him. "Don't say that, Seto! He's a professor!"

He raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her. "How do you know?"

"It says so on his bag."

She pointed to where a fairly large carryall was shoved up on the luggage rack. Clearly visible was the name _Professor R. J. Lupin_ stamped on the front. Seto frowned, wondering how someone half his height had seen that while he missed it.

"I wonder what he teaches?" Ron asked.

"Well, there's only one opening is there?" Harry replied. "Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Don't forget Ancient Egyptian Magic," Marik added. "We don't know who's teaching that class. Besides, this guy looks like one good hex would put him out."

"I dunno," Yugi said, a bit of a sour note in his voice. "I think I already have an idea as to who will be teaching that class…"

Before anyone could ask him what he meant by that, Hermione's other half, Aishisu, took that moment to appear. She yawned, stretching her arms up toward the ceiling.

"I'm sorry, my light," she said, looking truly apologetic. "I overslept again, didn't I?"

"Way overslept," Hermione replied tersely, sitting down in a seat. Crookshanks quickly curled up on her lap, eyeing Ron's pocket where Scabbers was visibly shaking. The other Egyptian spirits took that moment to appear, and Draco pointed to where Yugi and Yami Yugi were standing together.

"I thought these two were bad," he said, sitting down next to Hermione, only to quickly get pushed out of it by Marik. "You _honestly _slept till eleven o' clock?"

Aishisu rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. "Well, I can't help it," she said. "It's nice not having to wake up as soon as the sun does because it's so bright."

"Well, you don't have to worry about the sun today," Bakura commented dryly, going over to the window. Outside, rain buffeted the train as it swept past towns and farms, and the cloudy sky overhead totally blocked any traces of light from the sun. "Any idea when this lousy weather is going to let up?" he continued, taking a seat for himself.

"Hopefully before we get to the station," Seto commented. "I'd feel sorry for those first years if they had to go across the lake in a storm like this."

While everyone had been talking, Aishisu and Yami Yugi had retreated to a private corner in the cramped compartment, and were talking softly to one another. Marik raised an eyebrow at that.

"Hey, Yugi," he began. "You don't think… Aishisu and Yami Yugi…?"

Yugi looked over to where the two spirits were talking, a strange feeling coming over him. Was that… jealously? Nah, it could not be.

"Oh, no, definitely not," Hermione answered for him. "Just because two people talk to each other a lot, doesn't mean they're an item, Marik."

She added emphasis to that by poking him in the chest. He rubbed the spot she poked him in, a bit of a frown on his face.

"Hey, I'm just saying," he objected. "You never know. Stuff like this could happen. Just look at me and you."

Yami Bakura snickered at that. "Cradle robber…"

Marik glared. "Better that than a tomb robber."

The tomb robber just smirked. "Don't you know the saying? Thirteen will get you fifteen…?"

Marik looked like he was going to kill him for that. Fortunately, Yami Seto took that opportunity to whack the tomb robber over the head with the Millennium Rod.

"Knock it off, bakayarou," he warned. Yami Bakura rubbed his head painfully, glaring at the high priest, but other than that, he did not do anything else.

The day wore on. In the cramped compartment they all occupied, those who were not talking were dueling each other. Marik had a five game winning streak going on before he went up against Yugi and lost miserably (Hermione had to comfort him after that one). Meanwhile, outside the train, the rain got steadily worse as it continued to travel north. The sky was almost as black as midnight, the clouds overhead refusing to let a single ray of light from the sun through.

Though Professor Lupin did take up most of the sitting room they had in the compartment, he did have his uses. About mid afternoon, the door was violently shoved open, revealing Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle on the other side. She smiled in a sort of mockingly sweet manner.

"Why, hello again, Draco honey," she said. "I'm sure you remember your old friends Crabbe and Goyle."

If looks could kill, then the look Draco was giving her would have melted her on the spot. Crabbe and Goyle, in the meantime, had mean looks on their dumb faces, as if they were ready to jump out and do her bidding. Seto looked up from his laptop, an annoyed look on his face.

"Why don't you just get lost?" he demanded, a cold edge in his voice.

"Why don't you just shut up, you filthy mud blood," Ecillia returned, an equally cold note to her voice.

Yami Seto sprung up from his seat next to his hikari, an enraged look on his face. Yami Yugi and Aishisu held him back, however, as he started to advance on her. Ecillia laughed, amused as the high priest tried to break away from the two of them. That was when she caught sight of Lupin, still sleeping away despite the commotion they were causing.

"Who the devil is _that?"_ she demanded, eyeing the professor's shabby clothes.

"New teacher," Draco answered, a bit of a smirk on his face. "You were saying, Ecillia?"

Apparently, even she was not stupid enough to pick a fight in front of a professor. Her, Crabbe, and Goyle quickly disappeared from the compartment, and Bakura got up and shut the door.

"Never fails," Marik commented dryly. "Every time someone defects over to the good guys, there's always another bad guy ready to pick up the slack."

"You speak as if from experience," Harry commented, starting up a game of Duel Monsters with Ron. Marik just rubbed the back of his neck.

"Heh, we won't go there," he said. He still refused to tell Hermione that he had been the leader of GHOULS, a criminal organization that was known for stealing rare cards and their almost flawless forging.

A few hours passed, with the rain still beating steadily outside, when the train started to slow. Ron looked outside, trying to see if they were at the school. However, the rain outside shielded him from any kind of clear view. Seto checked his watch.

"We can't be at the school yet," he said. "Besides, my computer would have shut off when we passed the barrier around the school."

Yugi, closest to the door, got up to take a look outside their compartment and see if anyone knew what was happening. Before he could get to it, however, the train came to a stop with a sudden and violent jolt, sending him flying back to land on his other half's lap. Yami Bakura was about to let out a rude noise, but the lights snapping off stopped him.

"What's going on?" came Ron's voice.

There came a terrified sound that sounded like it was from Bakura, and Yami Bakura groaned.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark, hikari," he growled.

"No, of course not," Bakura whimpered. "Just the stuff that lurks in the dark. Besides, something brushed against my leg."

"That was probably Crookshanks," Hermione said, disapprovingly. "I'm going to ask the driver what's going on."

Harry could barely make her out as she got up and started toward the door. Just as she reached it, there was a sudden yelp of pain.

"Hermione, that was my _foot!"_ Yami Seto exclaimed.

"Oh, it's not like I broke anything," she replied.

"Yeah, but it still hurt," the high priest protested.

"Grow up, mou hitori no boku," Seto muttered.

"I'll remember that next time you get hurt," Yami Seto grumbled.

"Quiet!" someone suddenly snapped.

A light flickered into existence, revealing the very tired face of Professor Lupin. Despite the look on his face, his eyes were alert.

"Stay here," he ordered them, heading for the door.

It slid open before Lupin could get to it, and what was on the other side got a strangled gasp out of Marik. Illuminated by the dim light in the professor's hand was a tall, terrifying creature completely covered in a black cloak. The only part of its body that was visible was a gnarled hand, slimy and scabbed over, as if whatever was under the cloak had decayed long ago. Next came a rasping sound, as if the creature had taken in a large breath, trying to suck in more than just the air.

It was then that a sudden chill fell over everyone in the compartment. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest; a deep feeling of hopelessness and despair seemed to penetrate his very soul. His eyes rolled up into his head as a rumbling sound reached his ears, as if a rush of water was coming toward him. The rumbling grew louder, and then was broken by a loud, pleading scream. Harry tried to help the person, but he could not move. A thick fog had surrounded him, suffocating him, cutting him off from helping anyone or anything…

"Harry-kun! Harry-kun! Diajobou desu ka!"

Someone was slapping his face.

"Marik, I don't think he understands what you said…" Bakura interjected.

Harry opened his eyes to see Marik and Bakura standing over him. Both of them were paler than normal, though Bakura looked better off than Marik. The Hogwarts Express was moving once again, and the lights had returned to normal. The two boys helped Harry sit up, giving him a chance to look around at the others. Yugi was curled up on Yami Yugi's lap, crying slightly, while the pharaoh looked a little shaken. Seto and Yami Seto were gripping the armrests of the chairs they were in, breathing hard, as if they had just finished running a marathon. Aishisu was hovering over Hermione, who was so pale, she looked like she could pass for one of the Hogwarts' ghosts. Ron and Draco were pale as well, but Yami Bakura looked the most affected. He had a totally blank look on his face, as if he had seen something that had penetrated his very soul.

There was a sudden cracking sound above them. Harry looked up to see Professor Lupin breaking up a large piece of chocolate. He handed him the biggest piece.

"Here, eat this," he urged. "It will help you shake off the effects."

Harry looked down at his piece, but did not eat it.

"What was that thing?" he asked.

"A dementor," Lupin answered. "One of the guards of Azkaban."

Everyone stared up at him, except Yugi, who still had his head buried in his other half's chest. Lupin crumpled up the chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat it," he told them. "I need to go speak to the driver."

Lupin left the compartment, leaving them to their thoughts of what happened. Harry looked around, confused.

"I don't understand," he began. "What happened?"

"Th… the dementors… they have a terrible ability," Draco began between mouthfuls of chocolate. "They suck all positive thoughts from around them, leaving a person with only thoughts of despair. This is why they are the guards of the wizard's prison of Azkaban. Constant exposure to such creatures eventually drains a wizard of all their abilities and drives them insane."

He paused a moment, fingering the last bit of chocolate before popping it into his mouth. He swallowed before continuing, "My mother's sister, Ecillia's mother, was convicted of being a Death Eater, and was sentenced to life in Azkaban. My mother would visit her every other month, and each time she would come home shivering."

Silence reigned in the compartment, and it was a long moment before someone spoke again.

"I… I saw…" Yugi began. "I saw Jonouchi… I saw him dying again."

Marik looked down at him, sadly, a tear rolling down his cheek. He swiped it away furiously, before anyone could notice. Yami Yugi, in the meantime, tightened his grip on his hikari. He looked up at Yami Bakura, just daring him to make a comment, but the tomb robber still had that blank look on his face.

Yami Yugi's eyes drifted away in thought. Those dementor things, for some people, it must have made them see the most horrifying experience of their life. For his hikari, seeing Jonouchi die because of God of Ra's attack back in Battle City was the most traumatizing thing that could have ever happened to him. If this was the case, Yami Yugi could only imagine how terrifying the thing the tomb robber had seen could have been.

-.oOOo.-

They did not talk much throughout the rest of the trip, the arrival of the dementor totally ruining their good mood over going back to school. After the train arrived at the station and everyone disembarked, the eight of them split up into two groups of four and climbed into carriages pulled by invisible horses (though Marik and Yugi kept insisting that there was something there). The carriages took them across the bridge that connected the main land to the island on which Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stood on, its tall spires reaching up toward the sky.

They passed a set of iron wrought gates, and Yugi felt another wave of cold wash over him. He looked out and saw that two dementors were standing guard on either side of the gate. Collapsing into his seat, he closed his eyes, trying to fight away the image that threatened to come to his awareness again until the coldness left and the feeling of despair vanished.

Seto shook his head. "What is it you said about 'increased security', Yugi?" he asked.

Yugi glowered at him. "Not funny, Seto-kun."

"They didn't really affect me that much," Bakura said thoughtfully. Marik smirked.

"Probably because with the tomb robber around, you're already miserable," he commented. Bakura just rolled his eyes, before Marik continued, "Either way, you're lucky that they didn't affect you that much." He looked down at his hands. "I saw a lot of things… my father dying… when Rishid…"

He broke off, biting his lower lip. They were silent for a long moment.

"I saw the first time Gonzarou beat my otouto," Seto stated. Everyone turned to him in surprise, caught off guard that he would reveal something like that. "It was a few weeks after he adopted us," he continued, not meeting their gazes. "Since the day that he adopted us, I was forced to study almost non-stop with several tutors; denied sleep, food, or even the chance to see my otouto until I was done. One time, I skipped out on my lessons, and Mokuba and I hid in the gardens so we could play for the first time since we left the orphanage." He paused a moment, swallowing painfully. "We were found, and Gonzarou tied me to a chair while he had my otouto hanging from the ceiling by his wrists." He paused again, his fists clenched. "He beat him with a kendo stick until his back was bleeding. Then, he turned to me and said that every time I went against his orders, he would beat him in front of me, and each time would be worse than the last." Seto closed his eyes. "That's one of the reasons I can never forgive Gonzarou."

Silence fell over their carriage once again, until it pulled up to a halt at the steps of Hogwarts Castle. The four of them climbed out to rejoin Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco on the stone steps of the school.

"You _fainted,_ Potter?" a voice rang out over the crowd of students. "Is it really true? You _fainted!"_

Harry turned around, glaring, as Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed their way toward them. Ecillia let out a mocking laugh at the look on his face, as if he was just something that she could just stamp under her heel.

"Shove off, Ecillia," Draco growled.

"Oh, did you faint too, Draco dear?" she asked, a predatory look on her face.

"Is there a problem?" asked a mild voice. Everyone turned to see Professor Lupin coming out of a carriage, staring down at Ecillia disapprovingly.

"Um… no, _professor,"_ she jeered, before disappearing into the crowd once again.

"Bloody bitch," Draco muttered under his breath.

No one was willing to disagree with that.

-.oOOo.-

Yugi, Ron, Draco, and Marik sat comfortably at the Gryffindor table, waiting patiently for the opening year feast to start. Harry and Hermione joined them shortly; they had been called away by Professor McGonagall for some reason, and had missed the Sorting Ceremony. When they were about to ask them what it was all about, Dumbledore stood up from his seat at the professor's table.

"Welcome!" the elderly headmaster exclaimed, his twinkling eyes taking in the whole of the Great Hall. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few announcements, and as one of them is very serious, I find it wise to tell you before your minds become befuddled by our excellent feast.

"As you are all aware of after their search of the train, our castle is being host to some of the dementors of Azkaban due to some Ministry of Magic business."

He paused a moment then, and Harry got the distinct impression that having the creatures at the school did not thrill the headmaster. After what had happened, it was not hard to see why.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are with us, I strongly urge that _no one_ is to leave the grounds unless they have permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises… or invisibility cloaks," Dumbledore added, a bland note in his voice. The six Gryffindors exchanged sheepish looks. "It is not in the nature of dementors to understand pleading or excuses, so it is imperative that you do _nothing_ to provoke them."

Dumbledore's gaze drifted about the Hall, making sure this sunk in to everyone's skulls before he continued.

"On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome three new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause at that. The school had not had a good track record as far as Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers were concerned. Though, according to Hermione, he had chased off the dementor on the train, so that put him in a good light as far as Harry was concerned.

"Secondly," Dumbledore continued. "Well, I am sorry to report that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures professor, has decided to retire in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to tell you that this position has been filled up by our very own Rubeus Hagrid."

The applause at that was tumultuous, especially from the Gryffindor table.

"We should've known!" Draco exclaimed. "Who else would have assigned a biting book!"

It took awhile for the applause to die down. Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth, ecstatic over their reactions to his new appointment, as Dumbledore continued his speech.

"And lastly," he began, "as you may all have noticed, a new course had been added to the elective choices last year, known as Ancient Egyptian Magic. Here to teach that class is Professor Shadi."

Dumbledore waved to a man sitting at the end of the table, aloft from the other teachers. He was wearing sand stained white robes and a white turban, and a golden Ankh was hanging from around his neck. Marik fought back a gasp as polite applause went through the Hall. Yugi just rested his head on his hand, not surprised. He had been expecting it ever since he got that note from Ron over the summer.

_See, I told you so,_ he told Yami Yugi within his mind. The pharaoh just sighed.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," Dumbledore declared. "Let the feast begin!"


	4. Tea Leaves and Challenges

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER FOUR – TEA LEAVES AND CHALLENGES**

Classes, as usual, began right away the next day. Immediately after breakfast, everyone in their group of friends, with the exception of Bakura, had Divination all the way up on the top floor of the North Tower. They had to sprint to make it up there in time, following the directions of a loony knight from a painting they had encountered along the way. When they finally arrived, however, most of the rest of the class was already assembled. Yugi doubled over, holding onto his knees in an effort to stay up right.

"So… where's… the class… room?" he asked, gaping for breath.

Seto, the only one who was not out of breath, looked up. A circular trap door was embedded in the ceiling, with a shining brass plaque on it that said, "Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher".

"Okay…" Marik commented, looking up as well. "And how are we supposed to get up there?"

As if in response, the trap door slid up and open, and a silvery ladder descended to greet them. Silence fell over the group as Ron turned to Harry, a grin on his face.

"After you," he insisted.

Harry rolled his eyes, before grabbing a rung and heading on up.

The room he arrived in had to be the strangest classroom in the whole castle. To be truthful, it did not even look like a classroom at all, but more like an old teashop. In place of desks where about twenty round tables, surrounded by armchairs or over stuffed poufs. The room was dimly lit, and the smell of incense was overpowering.

Draco suddenly appeared at his shoulder as the rest of the class gathered behind him.

"Okay, so where is she?" he asked.

A soft, misty voice came out of the darkness at the foot of the room in reply. "Welcome, all. How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Yugi's first impression of the person that emerged was that of something out of Insector Haga's deck. Professor Trelawney was a very thin old woman, with large glasses that magnified her eyes to nearly ten times their normal size and a large, gaudy shawl. Various rings and other such baubles encrusted her neck, arms, and hands.

"Sit, my children, sit," she insisted, herself sitting down in an odd winged chair.

The rest of the class went for seats as well. Seto, Yugi, Harry, Ron, Draco, Hermione, and Marik all managed to fit themselves around one table. Marik edged his armchair a little closer to Hermione's, while Yugi attempted to sit on a pouf. The one he chose, however, was a little squishier than the others, and he ended up sinking right through to the point where only his legs could be seen. Seto pulled him out as the class started laughing hysterically, and switched seats with him.

Professor Trelawney glanced at their table, not looking the least bit amused, before addressing the class as a whole.

"Welcome to Divination," she began. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

Hermione rolled her eyes at that, as if she knew better. Though, Marik consented, with Aishisu as her other half, she probably did.

"So, you have chosen to study Divination," Professor Trelawney continued, "the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can only take you so far in this field."

At these words, everyone at their table glanced at Seto and Hermione, who both seemed appalled that they would not be able to get this class out of a textbook.

"The Gift," the professor continued, "is granted to a few, and can be a blessing and a curse. You, boy!" she exclaimed suddenly, pointing dramatically to Yugi.

He gulped, pointing to himself as if to say, "Who, me?"

"Yes, you," she answered his unasked question. "Is your grandfather well?"

"Last time I checked," Yugi replied, wondering where this was going.

"I wouldn't be so sure, if I were you," the professor replied delicately. "Oh, and you might want to tell your other half to be more honest with himself."

He felt a sudden warmth coming from Yami Yugi's Soul Room, as if he were blushing. A sheepish look crossed Yugi's face as he sat back in his chair, trying to hide away from the professor.

"We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year," Professor Trelawney continued, as if nothing had happened. "The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear –" She suddenly turned her focus to Parvati Patil – "beware a red-haired man."

Parvati shot an alarmed look to Ron behind her, before edging her chair away from him.

"In the second term," the professor went on again, "we shall progress to the crystal ball – if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of the flu. I myself will loose my voice. One among us will have to return home to tend to a younger muggle brother, and around Easter, one shall leave us forever."

An uneasy silence fell over the class, while Yugi and Marik shot Seto an alarmed look. After all, how many people in the class had a younger brother that was not already at Hogwarts?

"I wonder, dear," she said to Lavender Brown, who shrunk back in her chair, "could you pass me the large silver teapot?"

Lavender let out a sigh of relief, before getting up and taking a teapot from one of the many shelves in the room and setting it before the professor.

"Thank you, dear. Incidentally, that thing you're dreading: it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October."

Lavender let out a squeak of fear.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of _Unfogging the Future._ I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear –" She caught Neville's arm as he went to stand up – "after you've broken your first cup, would you kindly take one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

The class went up to get their cups, and sure enough, Neville dropped his almost immediately. Professor Trelawney handed him a dustpan and brush. As he started to clean up the mess, Ron tugged on Harry's sleeve.

"I'm gonna pair with Neville," he said. "Just so he doesn't break anything else. She's starting to freak me out."

Once everyone got their cups and had them filled, they all returned to their respective tables, with Ron going over to sit next to Neville. They tried to do what Professor Trelawney instructed, though drinking the tea was a bit difficult ("Needs sugar," Marik insisted, to which Hermione replied, "Like you need any more sugar."). Once the cups were drained, Yugi and Seto swapped cups.

"Okay, so…" Yugi trailed off as he looked for the page they needed. "What do you see in mine?"

"A load of soggy brown gunk," Seto replied, rubbing his eyes. The atmosphere in the room seemed to be distinctly made to make people feel slow and stupid. Yugi stifled a giggle.

"C'mon, be serious."

"Right, right," Seto replied, trying to pull himself together. He looked back and forth from the book open before them and the cup. "That looks like it could be the sun… that means 'great happiness'. There's a surprise. That seems to be some kind of flower… no, a rose, a 'promise of deep romance'." He raised an eyebrow. "Who have you been seeing behind our backs?"

Yugi blushed bright red. "No one! Geeze!"

Meanwhile, Harry and Draco were laboring over each other's cup.

"Erm… that looks like a hammer," the former said, before consulting his book. "'A confrontation'. Sorry about that."

"That's okay, you've got something like that too," Draco replied. He frowned then. "What the heck is that thing…?"

"Allow me, dear," Professor Trelawney said, suddenly appearing behind them and making him jump. She snatched Harry's cup from him, and everyone went quiet as she turned it about in her hand. "The falcon," she declared after a long pause. "My dear, you have a deadly enemy."

"But everyone knows _that,"_ Hermione stressed. The professor stared at her. "Well, they do. Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who."

Marik stared at her, a bit of surprise on his face. He had never heard her talk back to a teacher like that before. Professor Trelawney ignored her, however, turning back to Harry's cup.

"Let's see… the club, an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup… The skull, danger in you path, my dear…"

The professor suddenly screamed, startling everyone else in the class. There was a double tinkling of china; Neville had dropped his cup, and when Ron went to save it, he ended up knocking over his cup as well. Professor Trelawney in the meantime, sunk into a vacant chair, a horrified look on her face.

"My dear boy… my poor, dear boy… no… it is kinder not to say… no, don't ask me…"

Of course, someone had to ask. "What is it, professor?" Dean Thomas asked.

Professor Trelawney leaned toward Harry; her huge eyes open dramatically. "My dear, you have the Grim!"

That did not have quite the effect on him the she had been hoping for. "What's that?" he asked.

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" the professor howled. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts graveyards! My dear boy, it is an omen! An omen of _death!" _

Harry visibly gulped. Everyone was looking at him, except for Hermione, who had went around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair, glancing over at the cup still clutched in her hand.

_"I_ don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly.

The professor glared up at her with growing dislike. "My dear, you'll forgive me for saying so, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, fingering the collar of her sweater, under which the Millennium Tauk was hidden.

"Oh really?" she asked. Marik and Yugi were trying their hardest not to pass out from the howls of laughter they were holding back.

Professor Trelawney dismissed them early, and Harry and the others headed down to their Transfiguration class. Seto said goodbye, heading off past Professor McGonagall's room and off to double Herbology with Hufflepuff for him.

Harry and the others took their seats at the very back of the classroom. The other members of the class that had had Divination that morning kept taking glances back at him, as if they were afraid that he would drop dead any minute. Harry for the most part zoned out, hardly hearing what Professor McGonagall was saying about Animagi – wizards who could transform into animals at will. He did not even see it when she turned herself into a tabby cat with markings around her eyes the same shape as her glasses.

"Well, really!" she exclaimed, turning back into herself with a slight _pop._ "What has gotten into all of you today?"

Heads turned toward Harry, but no one said anything.

"Erm… McGonagall-sensei," Marik began, "we just had our first Divination lesson and –"

"Ah, yes," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "Say no more, Mr. Ishitar. So, which one of you is going to die this year?"

Everyone stared at her before Harry raised his hand.

"I see," she said, a bit of a sour note in her voice. "Then you should know, Mr. Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney's favorite way to greet students on the first class of the year is to predict the death of one of them. None have died yet. If it's any consolation, you look in excellent health to me, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione and the others laughed. Harry had to admit, it was hard to stay moody when Professor McGonagall cracked a joke. It happened so infrequently, after all.

-.oOOo.-

Classes went along without much happening for the first week. Though Harry and the others had been afraid of how Care of Magical Creatures would turn out, they were all surprised when Hagrid started out slow, showing them some things called flobberworms on the first day. Though they were rather boring creatures, everyone agreed that it was a good thing Hagrid had started with them. After all, they had the displeasure of being in the same class as Draco's cousin, Ecillia.

That Thursday night, the Gryffindors out of their group of friends were gathered at their customary spot at their table, with Harry sitting next to Draco, enjoying a hearty dinner before heading to bed for the night. The latter boy was about to chomp down on a chicken leg, when he was suddenly hit from behind, nearly smashing his nose into the food. They all turned around angrily to see Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle behind them. Ecillia put a hand over her mouth, a look of mock surprise on her face.

"Oh, so sorry, Draco honey," she said, a little too sweetly. "Didn't see you there."

Draco shot them the best glare he could muster before turning back to his food. Ecillia did not get the hint, however.

"Incidentally, you really looked like you enjoyed those flobberworm things in class, Draco honey," she continued. "Tell me, is it because you could relate to them so well?"

Draco was clutching his chicken leg so hard, it looked like he was going to splinter the bone. Yugi stood up from his seat across the way, a rare angry look on his face.

"Why don't you just leave him alone, Ecillia?" he demanded. "He didn't do anything to you!"

Ecillia looked around a moment, before turning to Crabbe and asking, "Did you hear a noise?"

Marik stood up from his seat next to Hermione, enraged. "Why don't you go bother someone who cares enough to listen to your annoying voice?"

Ecillia made a face, rubbing her ear slightly. "You accuse me of having an annoying voice? _Honestly!" _

Marik looked like he was going to kill at that. The only thing that stopped him from leaping over the table toward her was Draco standing up, blocking him from getting clean shot. Silence fell over the Hall, and all eyes turned to the tense scene that was suddenly before them. Everyone, including the teachers. Professor McGonagall stalked toward them almost immediately, an irritated look on her face.

"Miss Lestrange, I might have known," she said. "Enough of this. Go to your own table."

"Oh, but, professor, my sweet little cousin was about to show me what kind of a man he is," Ecillia said in that mockingly sweet tone again. "Weren't you, Draco honey?" She smirked then, an odd feral look coming to her face. "Though if you wont say it, I will."

Draco raised an eyebrow, confused. To his surprise, Ecillia pulled a deck of Duel Monsters cards from her robes and started shuffling them.

"Oh, no!" Professor McGonagall objected. "Absolutely not! In case you haven't noticed, Miss Lestrange, it is time for supper, not for child's games."

"Professor."

Everyone looked up to see that Professor Dumbledore had stood up from his seat. He nodded genially to Draco and Ecillia.

"I do believe no one will mind some good evening entertainment, Professor McGonagall," he said. "As it is, I rather see them settle their differences in such a harmless matter, than by using more dangerous means."

With that said, the decision was all up to Draco. He had many reasons not to trust her sincerity; after all, how did Ecillia get her hands on a deck of cards? She hated everything that had to do with the Muggle world as much as he himself once had. Why she would be walking around with a deck of Muggle cards was anyone's guess.

"I challenge you to a duel, Ecillia," he announced in a low, cold voice.

Ecillia just smirked, pulling out a Duel Disk III from her robes. "Now that's a good boy."

With a clap of Dumbledore's hands, the various food and plates on the tables disappeared, vanishing all distractions from the duel. Draco climbed up onto the Gryffindor table before pulling out his own deck and Duel Disk III, the latter of which he had gotten over the summer when he signed up to participate in the third annual Battle City tournament.

As for his deck, he still had some cards left from the original starter deck and boosters Yugi had given him for Christmas last year, but most of them had been traded off for much better cards. His best cards, however, were gifts from the three people who had taught him to duel that summer. Seto had shown up at the Kame Game Shop one day, and just handed him a Diamond Dragon, right out of the blue, and of course he could not forget the time Yugi opened up a booster pack and out fell another Black Magician which, instead of adding to his own deck as one would expect, he handed to Draco instead.

His most powerful cards, however, were from Bakura and Yami Bakura, surprisingly enough. Draco had been watching a duel between Jonouchi and Yugi, scrutinizing their every move so when he tried it for the first time he would not look like too much of an idiot. Bakura had come up to him, handing him an extremely useful Dark Necrophilia card, a card that ended up saving his neck several times during Battle City. Then, Yami Bakura took over his hikari's body and handed him five more cards: the trap card Ouji Board Spirit Message D and the magic cards that went with it, Spirit Messages "E", "A", "T", and "H".

There was no denying it; Draco had a good deck.

He held out his arm with his Duel Disk III on it, ejecting the holographic pods. Students scrambled out of the way as they landed on the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables. Across the way, Ecillia did the same as Draco's companions gathered around on the floor below him.

"Draco-kun, maybe this isn't such a good idea," Bakura said.

"Don't get so heady just because you got third place in Battle City on your first try," Seto warned.

Draco just turned to them and gave them a wink and a thumbs up. "Don't worry about me," he said. "You warm up your pom-poms."

Seto, Marik, Yugi, and Bakura sweatdropped. "We're not cheerleaders, y'know…" Marik replied.

Ecillia put a hand on her hip, a sour look on her face. "Enough stalling all ready!"

Draco turned back to her, his confident grin radiant. "Hold your horses, you'll get what's coming to you!"

_"DUEL!" _

Draco Malfoy: 4000  
Ecillia Lestrange: 4000

"I'll take the first turn!" Draco declared, drawing a card to add to the five hand cards he all ready had. This was definitely one of the better hands he had ever gotten right off the bat: Fairy's Hand Mirror, Baron of the Fiend Sword, Gremlin, Diamond Dragon, Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, and Shining Abyss – the card he just drew. Common sense told him to play the strongest card he could, but he wanted to test the water a bit, and see if Ecillia had any talent, or was just blowing steam out of her mouth.

"I summon the Gremlin, sign of attack!" he called, playing the card. The little green Gremlin appeared almost immediately, letting out a snarl in Ecillia's direction. "End of turn!"

Ecillia smirked as she declared her turn and drew a card. "Cyber Falcon, sign of attack!"

Draco put an arm up over his eyes as the mechanical falcon appeared and utterly destroyed his Gremlin. Other than that, he did not react as the monster swooped back to Ecillia's side of the field. She licked the back of her hand, a predatory grin on her face.

"First blood."

Draco just glared. "Don't talk like you've won yet."

Draco Malfoy: 3900  
Ecillia Lestrange: 4000

"My turn again!" he exclaimed, drawing. Only a Spiritualism card; he would not need that, at least not yet. He looked down at his hand, sorely tempted to play the Shining Abyss card, but something stopped him. It might have been instinct, but he did not really care as he slapped down Baron of the Fiend Sword and ordered it to attack. The yellow skinned demon lunged forward, its dark sword slicing through the Cyber Falcon before returning to his side of the field.

Ecillia yawned. "My turn," she said as she drew, sounding rather bored. "I cover a monster, sign of defense, and I activate the magic card Ekibyo Drakmord!"

A magic card appeared on her side of the field, and suddenly started spitting out green goblins. The goblins latched onto his Baron of the Fiend Sword, holding it in place.

"Hey!" Draco exclaimed, caught off guard.

Ecillia just laughed at him. "Oh, poor dear Draco honey," she taunted. "Not only does my magic card prevent your monster from attacking, but the second turn after this card is activated, your monster is destroyed and this card returns to my hand. Rather annoying, isn't it, Draco honey?"

Draco glared as he drew a card – De-Spell. Now he had two cards that could get rid of magic cards, but he fought the urge to use them. He enjoyed mind games, and this was his chance to play a small one on her.

"Summon Shining Abyss, sign of attack!" he shouted, a strange ball-like creature with arms and wings appearing on his side of the field. "Attack the face down card!"

Shining Abyss shot a beam of light toward the face down monster card on the field. Green Phantom King was revealed, a monster with a defense of 1600, the same as the attack of his monster. Ecillia just laughed at him.

"Well, _that_ was a waste of a turn," she commented before declaring her turn and drawing a card. She frowned at it, before setting another monster in defense and declaring the end of her turn.

Draco declared his turn, and ended up drawing Marie the Fallen One. As much as he liked that card, he had a better card to offer sacrifices for.

"Baron of the Fiend Sword and Shining Abyss offered as sacrifices to summon Diamond Dragon!"

He particularly enjoyed the look of horror on Ecillia's face as the two monsters on his side of the field disappeared in a flurry of sparkles. An almost crystal clear dragon, whose hide seemed to sparkle in the light from the floating candles overhead, shortly replaced them. Putting a hand on his hip, he took that moment to savor his small victory.

"Ekibyo Drakmord has one flaw, Ecillia," he stated. "If the monster it's equipped to is destroyed before the two turns are up, then that card is destroyed and cannot return to your hand!"

Ecillia grit her teeth as he ordered the Diamond Dragon to attack her Green Phantom King. She shielded her face against the resulting blast, and Draco could have sworn he heard her muttering several curses.

"All right, Draco-kun!" Yugi exclaimed from the crowd. "You've got her running now!"

Her whole face seemed to turn down into an ugly scowl. "My turn!" she growled, drawing out a card. A bit of a satisfied look appeared as she added the card to her hand, then took out another card and set it in defense before ending her turn.

Draco drew another Spiritualism card; frowning at the two monsters she had face down on the field. He tended not to attack face down cards – you never knew when you were going to run into a flip effect card, after all – but if she had just gotten a monster that would be able to take out his dragon, then it was better to be sorry than safe.

He ordered the Diamond Dragon to attack the face down card she had just set, only to reveal a Worm Drake. Ecillia frowned.

"We're really getting somewhere, aren't we?" she commented dryly before drawing a card.

It continued on this way for several turns. Ecillia would draw and set another monster on the field in defense position, only to have Draco destroy it on his next turn. After a while, he had started to toss cards to the graveyard because he kept going over the hand limit. If this was her idea of winning, then he had to admit, it was a rather boring one.

Sometime in the haze of turns, she had taken a change, and set a magic or trap card as well. At this point, Draco was so bored out of his mind that he just attacked without thinking.

Not one of his better ideas.

"Activate trap card, Skull Lair!" she shouted as the trap card on her side of the field flipped up. "This wonderful little trap card allows me to remove any number of cards in my graveyard from play in order to destroy a monster of the same level as the cards I remove. And guess what, Draco honey, I have exactly seven cards in my graveyard, thanks to you."

He felt like hitting himself over the head with the nearest heavy object, as his Diamond Dragon broke apart and was sent to the graveyard. That was such a stupid mistake; he could not believe he made it.

"Magical Ghost, sign of defense," he said in a monotone. "End of turn."

Ecillia let out a mocking laugh as she drew a card. "Are you ready now, Draco honey?" she asked. "I'll win this duel! Offer my face down monsters as sacrifices to summon Dark Rider Gaia, sign of attack!"

Draco grit his teeth and backed up a bit as the dark knight mounted on its purplish steed appeared on her side of the field. He looked down at his hand as Gaia destroyed his defending monster, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. The next card he got had better be a good one.

He declared his turn, and ended up drawing Pot of Greed. Playing it right away, he drew two more cards, and frowned when he saw that _now_ he got Dark Necrophilia. It might still do him some good, as it had a defense of 2800. Reaching for his Marie the Fallen One card, he was about to discard it – he was over his hand limit again – when something made him stop.

The other card he had drawn was Fusion.

Draco discarded Fusion Sword Murasame Blade instead, deciding to take a gamble. Marie the Fallen One was a fusion material monster, and if he could get the monster that it fused with, he would be able to win the duel. He just hoped his Life Points could stand the hit.

"End of turn!"

The look of triumph on Ecillia's face was sickening.

"Dark Rider Gaia! Directly attack the player!"

Though Draco had braced himself for the knight's attack, he still ended up getting knocked off of his feet. He landed on his back with a thud as the members of Slytherin House cheered and the other houses jeered.

Draco Malfoy: 1600  
Ecillia Lestrange: 3850

Draco winced as he got back to his feet, when he noticed something from the Professor's table. It was the new Ancient Egyptian Magic teacher, Shadi. The professor had stood up from his seat and was staring at his chest strangely. He looked down to see that a chain with a white and gold feather hanging from it had fallen out from under his shirt. Over the summer, he had asked Grandfather Mutou if it were possible to make the feather he had found before Christmas last year into a necklace so he could always keep it on him. He could not understand why he made such a fuss over a simple little feather, but why the professor reacted the way he did, he probably would never know.

"It's my turn," Draco declared. "Just to let you know, Ecillia, this draw will determine who will win this match. I have no cards that can defend me, and if I don't get one, you'll have a clear shot at me once again." He smirked then. "If not, then you can prepare to loose."

Ecillia had that mockingly pleasant smile on her face again, as if she did not care how much he struggled. Draco took a deep breath, uttering a silent prayer in his mind to whatever gods were really out there, and drew a card.

It was the Forgiving Maiden, the _exact _card he needed.

Draco smirked. "Ecillia, I win!" he declared. "Activate magic card, Fusion! Take the Forgiving Maiden and Marie the Fallen One from hand and fuse to summon Saint Joan!"

He had never seen a sweeter sight; as Saint Joan materialized onto the field, Ecillia took a step back. The shock on her face was so priceless; he wished he had a camera. Things were only going to get better from then out, though.

"I'm not done yet, Ecillia," he stated, thoroughly enjoying himself. "I remove three fiend-type monsters in the graveyard from play to summon Dark Necrophilia!"

Ecillia looked like she was going to pass out. A couple people in the crowd let out squeaks of fear as the demonic figure of Dark Necrophilia appeared, holding the broken remains of a doll. The doll let out a ghostly laugh, getting more frightened exclamations out of the crowd.

"And now, Saint Joan! Attack Dark Rider Gaia!" Draco ordered. Wings suddenly appeared on the back of the armored woman before him, and she flew toward Gaia, her thin sword gleaming. With a few swipes, the knight had been reduced to nothing but pixels.

"Dark Necrophilia, directly attack the player!"

The doll in Dark Necrophilia's arms laughed again, its hollow eyes starting to glow. Two beams of hellish red light shot out of them, hitting Ecillia in the chest and sending her crashing to her rear end. Cheers went up from all the houses, except Slytherin of course. Ecillia got back to her feet glaring at him and everyone behind him. Draco just shrugged, imitating her usual mockingly sweet attitude.

Draco Malfoy: 1600  
Ecillia Lestrange: 1150

Ecillia announced her turn and drew a card. She grit her teeth, glaring down at her hand cards as if they had suddenly turned against her.

"You don't have a card that can help you, do you?" Draco asked, his confidence practically radiating. "Even if you defend, even if you manage to destroy one of my monsters, it'll all be over in the next turn."

She was all but snarling at him as she placed a monster in defense and ended her turn. Then, it happened as before; Saint Joan attacked the face down monster, and Dark Necrophilia attacked Ecillia directly, bringing the exciting match to a rather mundane and expected end.

Draco Malfoy: 1600  
Ecillia Lestrange: 0

Cheers went up again as Yugi, Harry, and the others climbed up on the table to congratulate him. Even Professor Dumbledore was applauding his win from his table. Ecillia, in the meantime, took off her Duel Disk and slammed it down on the table before stalking off in a huff, Crabbe and Goyle flanking her. A Hufflepuff boy took the Duel Disk and the deck within, an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry, Draco, she must have taken it from me," he said. "I didn't realize it was gone until I saw her using my cards."

Draco waved the apology off; he should have known those were not really her cards. Surrounded by the cheers and compliments of his friends and his classmates, he really did not care about much of anything at the moment. Well, except for…

He looked up at the professor's table, to see that Professor Shadi had left his seat. Draco frowned; what the heck was his problem…?


	5. Who Wants to Live Forever?

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER FIVE – WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER?**

Yugi could feel whatever it was that he had eaten for breakfast that Friday morning churning in his stomach as him, Marik, and Hermione made their way through the hallways of the school to get to the Ancient Egyptian Magic classroom. Seto and Bakura joined them shortly, but he hardly noticed. He was worried about what Shadi would do during the class, that he hardly noticed where he was going.

_Aibou, watch out! _

CLANG!

Yugi crashed headlong into a suit of armor, nearly knocking it over. Backpedaling, he rubbed his forehead, muttering under his breath as everyone sweatdropped.

"Yugi-kun, are you okay?" Seto asked, helping him steady himself. Yugi shook his head, voicing his concerns. Hermione put her hands on her hips, an annoyed look on her face.

"Oh, please, Yugi!" she exclaimed. "He's a professor! Why would he do anything to harm us?"

"Hermi-chan, may I mention Professor Quirrell?" Marik asked. She did not have a response to that, and kept her mouth shut for once. Yugi just shuffled his feet, his face scrunched up in thought.

"I mean, I know Shadi isn't an evil person," he began, "but I don't like his method of twisting the truth to get the results he wants. I… know he won't try anything, but I can't help but not trust him."

"But, Yugi-kun, I'm sure he has his reasons for doing what he did," Bakura interjected, "but we can't really dwell on it now. We're going to be late."

They took off down the hallway, with everyone forcing Yugi toward the center of the group so he would not collide with anything again. It took a moment, but the five of them finally came upon their Ancient Egyptian Magic classroom. Two floor-based torches framed either side of the door, and the top of the doorframe had a distinctive Egyptian design to it.

"Well, he didn't take long to move in," Marik commented dryly as they entered the class, only to get elbowed by Hermione.

The interior of the class was much like that of an Egyptian tomb, with rough stone walls carved with hieroglyphs. Many of the students that were already assembled in the class were shifting nervously in their seats, looking about as the fire light from torches that littered the room cast threatening shadows all about. A nervous gulp escaped from Seto of all people as they made their way to seats in the back of the room. About a handful of other students came in after them, but despite this, it was a fairly small class compared to others.

The bell rang a moment after everyone was assembled, and Shadi emerged from the shadows of the room, still wearing his sand stained robes and white turban. He rested his hands on a wooden desk at the foot of the room, his almost pupil-less brown eyes taking in the faces of each student (he lingered a bit on Yugi, Seto, Marik, and Bakura) before he started to speak.

"As you already know, I am Professor Shadi," he stated. Yugi would have never imagined how strong his Arabic accent would be when speaking English. "Also as you might have noticed, I do not hail from this country. I have faith that my manner of speech does not throw any of you off."

Shadi swept his eyes over the class again, stopping occasionally at a student that had their wand out. A few students twitched in nervousness. Yugi was just wondering where this was all going, keeping a hand close to his Millennium Puzzle. He did not have to look at his companions to know they were also keeping close contact with their Items, except Hermione, who did not seem the least bit perturbed.

"Egyptian magic," Shadi continued, "is the most ancient magic known to muggle and wizard alike, dating back over five thousand years. Most of the earlier magic used by the Egyptians were incantations and potions – methods not requiring a wand. This year and the next we will be focusing on these more ancient spells, so if I see one wand out in this class, I will have to assume that you intend to use it on someone for a destructive purpose."

All the students that had wands out immediately stuffed them into their robes or bags, hiding them from view. Shadi nodded, satisfied.

"Thank you. Now, as you may have guessed, because Egyptian magic was used long before any of the Latin-speaking powers came into being, none of the incantations we will learn in this class are in Latin. Therefore, this first term we will be covering the basics of the Egyptian language. Nothing extenuating at first; just some basic words and simple phrases. Enough so you'll be able to read and say the proper words for the incantations without tripping over your tongue."

Marik sat back in his seat, a satisfied grin on his face. The first term was going to be a breeze for him; he already knew Egyptian. Yugi, Seto, Bakura, and Hermione glared at his extreme confidence. Though their respective other selves knew Egyptian as well, they did not. At least they did not have to travel too far to find a tutor.

"Second term," Shadi continued, not noticing them or not caring, "will be dedicated to basic… mythology of Egypt." He looked like he really did not like using that word, not that Yugi blamed him. Most things he himself had written off as untrue or myths ended up being reality eventually. "Magic was believed to be a blessing from Thoth, the wisest of the gods, and his greatest student, the goddess Isis. In order to understand the meaning behind many of the spells you will learn, it is necessary for you to learn what the ancient ones believed in.

"Lastly," Shadi kept going, pausing a moment to take a breath, "the third and fourth terms will be dedicated to the basic incantations and potions respectively. I _will_ warn you: this will not be an easy course. Though you may find some spells similar to what you are learning in other classes, the lack of a wand and the difference in languages will most likely confuse you. I honestly do not expect all of you to still be here at the end of the year."

With that said, Shadi took his hands off the desk and instead filled them with a leather bound textbook: _Deciphering Ancient Hieroglyphs_, one of the four textbooks they had needed for that class. Almost immediately, students pulled out their own copies, to his satisfied nod. He turned, and with a well-chosen word of Egyptian, torches sprung to life before him, illuminating a dusty old chalkboard. Taking up a piece of chalk, he was about to start writing on it when he paused, turning back and focusing on where Yugi and his friends were sitting.

"And, back there," Shadi began, so everyone was sure he was talking to them, "no cheating."

It was amazing the relieving effect this seriously spoken joke had on the rest of the class. A handful of the students chuckled, glancing back at them. Hermione was appalled he would even suggest such a thing. Bakura was blushing while Seto was hunched over, his shoulders shaking in silent laughter. Yugi just rolled his eyes. He should have known the Egyptian man would say something.

-.oOOo.-

After Ancient Egyptian Magic, it was off to double Potions with Slytherin for Yugi, Marik, and Hermione. They barely arrived in time, having gotten turned around twice no thanks to Peeves, the school's obnoxious poltergeist. Professor Snape gave them a reproving look as they entered, but did not say anything. Thanks to Yugi and Yami Yugi, the formerly cruel Potions Master had mellowed out after finding out the hard way what it felt like to be one of his students. Since then, he had judged all students the same, even those from his own house. This was something Ecillia found out the hard way as she tried to suck up to the professor and only ended up getting threatened with a detention.

After Potions, it was off to lunch before getting the afternoon off. Draco had fallen behind the others a bit, stopping to tie his sneakers before he tripped over the laces. When he got back up from tying it, he saw that the others had disappeared from sight, and he immediately went to catch up with them. Suddenly, however, the white robed Ancient Egyptian Magic teacher appeared before him, as if out of nowhere. He stopped in his tracks, looking up at him. The man was truly creepy up close.

"Err… can I help you?" Draco asked, trying to be friendly.

Shadi stared at him a moment, before asking, "Tell me, Draco Malfoy. Where did you get that feather of yours?"

Draco was about to ask how he knew his name, but thought better of it. He was a teacher, after all, and had access to the list of students in the school.

"I found it, outside," he answered. "Why?"

Shadi did not answer him. Instead he asked, "Do you know what it is?"

Draco frowned. Just where exactly was this conversation going?

"A feather…" he replied.

There was a long pause, during which the Egyptian man just stared down at him. Draco wished he would at least blink once; that stare was starting to get on his nerves.

"And…?" Shadi finally asked.

Draco twitched; his nerves had reached his limit. He edged around the professor, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice as he said, "Look, I'd really like to keep this conversation going, but I've gotta go now bye!"

He took off toward the Great Hall, not caring how much of a rush he seemed to be in. After a moment, he turned to make sure the professor was not following him, only to find that the corridor was deserted. Draco stopped in his tracks, wondering where the heck he could have gone.

"Draco-kun!" Marik shouted from down the hall. "What the hell are you doing?"

"C…coming!" Draco shouted back. He looked around once more before heading off in the direction of Marik's voice.

-.oOOo.-

Yami Yugi sat stretched out on the grass, in his spectral form, watching with a gentle smile on his face as his hikari played Duel Monsters with Harry near the shore where they had first arrived at the school what seemed like ages ago. He smirked slightly as his aibou made a crushing play, nearly destroying the younger wizard's chances of winning.

Eventually, his thoughts started to wander, and he found himself thinking of the dementors that surrounded the school. Such horrible creatures; it was a wonder why anyone put up with them at all. Then, his thoughts drifted further, coming to a rest on the morning they left, and how he had gotten caught sleeping with his hikari. Yami Yugi did not understand why everyone made such a fuss over it. Technically, he always slept with his aibou; he did not have a Soul Room in his mind for nothing! It was not just that that bothered him, however, but also what Professor Trelawney had said. He had to be more honest with himself. He hoped that did not mean what he thought it meant.

"May I intrude upon this brooding session, Pharaoh?"

Yami Yugi turned to see Aishisu bent over, hugging her knees as she stayed upright on her own two feet. The priestess was also in her translucent spirit form, as was obvious, considering Hermione was sitting next to Seto a slight distance away, comparing Arithmancy notes. He nodded for her to sit down next to him, and she did so, unfolding her legs as she plopped down on the grass.

"Honestly, Pharaoh, what's wrong?" Aishisu asked. "I haven't seen you thinking this much since you found out you were going to be crowned at fourteen."

"A lot of things," he answered, lamely. She raised an eyebrow at that. "Okay, I'm thinking about what Trelawney said."

Aishisu rolled her eyes. "She _is_ a kook, Pharaoh, but she was right about one thing…"

She trailed off, and he turned to face her, when he suddenly found her finger poking his nose.

"You need to be more honest with yourself!"

"Meaning?" Yami Yugi asked, pushing her finger away.

Aishisu shrugged. "Well, simply put, Pharaoh, you're changing – on the inside and outside. Everyone's noticed but you, because you wont admit it to yourself."

Yami Yugi frowned. She was not making any sense; would he not know if he was changing or not?

"Seto told me – you know, the high priest one – he told me what happened in your first year here," she continued. "About how you and your partner have a complete bond now. You haven't noticed, but it _has_ been changing you. Slowly, yes, but you are different from the rest of us."

There was a sudden groan as Harry lost his duel to Yugi, and Ron jumped up to try his luck.

"I still don't understand," Yami Yugi replied, waving to his hikari as he turned and gave him a thumbs up. "How can I be different from you and Seto and the tomb robber? We all underwent the same ceremony, and we all ended up in our Items. I'm the same kind of spirit you are."

"You _were,"_ Aishisu stressed. She held up a hand then. "Pharaoh, look through my hand. How well can you see the tree beyond?"

Yami Yugi looked. Through her translucent hand, he could make out the maple tree near the lake easily enough, and conveyed as much. She then took his hand, and held it up where hers had been.

"Now how well can you see the tree?"

Yami Yugi blinked, hardly believing what he was seeing. All he could make out of the tree through his own hand was a faint outline, very little coloring, but that was about it. Through his hand, it did not look like a tree, but a vaguely green and brown blob. He shook his hand out of her grasp, staring down at it as if it would go back down to its normal translucency. It did not, however; how could he have missed something like _that?_

"How long have I been this… solid?" he asked, his brain still trying to get over the shock.

"I noticed on the train, so I have to assume this is a recent change," she answered. "The one change that stands out the most is how far you're able to travel away from your light."

The spirit of the pharaoh looked to where his aibou was playing a magic card against Ron, several yards away. Hermione was only about six feet away from them, if that.

"I guess the thinking is, that you two are so close, it doesn't matter how far apart you are," she concluded. She smirked a bit then. "As for how you're changing on the inside… well, you've already demonstrated that."

Yami Yugi glared at her as she started giggling. He stood up, muttering that he needed to go for a walk, before taking off, following the school around until he found himself near the front entrance. Pausing a moment, he looked about; maybe he would go visit Hagrid. After all, the giant of a man never seemed to mind when Harry and the others stopped in to visit. Maybe he would not mind a five thousand year old pharaoh dropping in to get things from a male point of view.

The pharaoh approached the door of Hagrid's hut and was about to knock when a voice above him called down, "Don't bother, he's not home."

Yami Yugi looked up to see Yami Bakura – in control of his hikari's body – sitting on the branch of a tree near the forbidden forest, a leg dangling casually over the side. The tomb robber had a bored but distant look to his face as Yami Yugi approached, and he did not even make the usual snide remarks he normally did when in his presence. He waited a moment, waiting for that sarcastic remark; but it never came. Shrugging slightly, he turned to make his way back to the others, when the tomb robber finally spoke.

"It sucks, you know," he said. Yami Yugi frowned up at him.

"What does?" he asked.

"Eternity," the tomb robber replied. There was a long pause, before he continued, "I promised myself I would never hear their screams again, you know."

Yami Yugi crossed his arms. "So, you saw _that_ when the dementor came in on the train," he stated. "I thought so, but I didn't want to say anything."

The distant look on Yami Bakura's face deepened. "Yeah," he said quietly, "I saw them all dying again. My mother… my father… my sisters… Ninety-nine faces disappearing into a sea of death and destruction before being molded together in a ceremony of dark alchemy."

Yami Yugi looked down at his Puzzle, disgusted by the thought. He had never known that the Millennium Items had been made through a ceremony of dark alchemy – a ceremony requiring the blood and bone of ninety-nine sacrifices to be melted together with gold. The thief's village of Kuru Eruna had been the sacrifice, and all had been slaughtered except for one, small boy: Bakura. Some how, the boy who would become the greatest tomb robber in the ancient world had escaped from the palace guards, and from the village. The only one of his priests who had known of the incident had been his uncle and Seto's father, the former high priest and original owner of the Eye, Akunadin. The only reason he knew about it now – too little, too late – was because his hikari had heard the old priest talking about it when he had traveled to the memory world. Yami Yugi felt guilty anyway; even if he had known sooner, he still would not have changed the past.

Yami Bakura jumped off the branch he was sitting on, approaching him with his hands in his pockets.

"This is the point where I insult you and everything you stand for right?" he asked. "You'll forgive me if I take a rain check; I'm not in the mood."

"Oh?" Yami Yugi asked, as the tomb robber started to make his way back to the castle. "And interrupt your daily routine of insulting me?"

Yami Bakura paused again, before turning back to him. "You know, this is completely random, but now that I think about it, I'm glad I took up residence in Ryou instead of the Eye."

The pharaoh raised an eyebrow at that. The tomb robber really must have had a lot on his mind; he referred to his hikari by his first name!

"Why's that?"

"'Cause I never wanted to live forever," he replied. "Now, when Ryou dies, I'll go with him. That'll be nice. I wont ever have to hear their voices again."

Yami Yugi just stared as the tomb robber continued his way back to the castle. He stayed standing like that for a long time, realizing just how incredibly insignificant his problem seemed now. Though he hated to admit it, he felt… well, he felt sorry for the tomb robber.

"By the way, how's your boyfriend doing?"

Yami Yugi jumped, surprised. He tripped over himself when he landed, and ended up crashing to the ground. Rubbing his head, he heard a sharp howl of laughter coming from above him, and looked up to see the tomb robber holding his sides in mirth. Apparently, instead of going back to the castle, he had looped around Hagrid's hut without him noticing, coming up quietly behind him.

"This is great," Yami Bakura stated. "Not only do I get my daily insult in, but I scare the shit out of you too. Thanks, pharaoh, I feel much better because of you."

Yami Yugi just glared. Sometimes, it was _really_ hard to feel sorry for him.


	6. Boggarts and Talons

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER SIX – BOGGARTS AND TALONS**

September went on rather uneventfully. It was the usual in their normal classes, with the exception of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin was definitely competent enough – he did not stutter or constantly point out pictures of himself – but he unfortunately had to catch them up on the basics of the class to make up for the incompetence of the two teachers they had previously. Out of their new elective classes, Ancient Egyptian Magic was easily the hardest. Shadi would literally pile the homework on them, and it was a miracle if they came out of his class without an essay to do. Seto, Marik, Hermione, Yugi, and Bakura were often found in the library, working together to get through the more grueling work for that class, before joining the others to work on the rest of their homework.

Hermione, however, easily had the heaviest workload out of all of them. She would often be found working until the early hours of the morning, slaving over all her homework. One day, when they were on the way to the Great Hall after Potions, the seam on her back came undone, spilling her books all over the floor. Marik instantly bent to help her out, before looking at the titles of some of the books.

"Hermi-chan, why are you carrying all these around with you?" he asked. "You didn't even have these classes today!"

"Oh, yes," Hermione replied vaguely, taking her books back. "I hope there's something good to eat in the Great Hall today, I'm starved."

With that said, she headed off, leaving the boys utterly confused.

"D'ya get the feeling she's not telling us something?" Draco asked.

-.oOOo.-

Some day near the end of the month, when the Gryffindors filed into their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, they entered the class to find that Professor Lupin was oddly absent. They all sat down, preparing for another session of boring note taking when he finally entered the room. He set his tattered old briefcase down on his desk before turning to the class.

"You can put away your books and parchment," he announced. "We're going to have a hands-on lesson today."

A curious murmur went about the room as they started packing up. They had never had a "hands-on" lesson before, unless you counted the time when Lockhart let loose a whole cage full of Cornish Pixies. The class followed Lupin out of the room and down the halls of the school, coming to a deserted corridor where Peeves, the school poltergeist, was bent over a keyhole, shoving a wad of chewing gum inside. The annoying specter broke out into a song as soon as he saw Lupin.

"Loony, loopy, Lupin! Loony, loopy, Lupin!"

If this bothered the professor at all, he did not show it. Instead, he calmly removed his wand from his robes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a useful little spell. Watch closely now," he announced, pointing his wand at the keyhole. "Waddiwasi!"

The wad of gum shot out of the keyhole like a bullet, imbedding itself into Peeve's left nostril. The poltergeist sped away, cursing, as the class laughed.

"Cool, sir," Dean Thomas declared.

"Thank you, Dean. Shall we?"

They continued down the hall, finally arriving at the almost deserted staff room. Professor Snape was sitting back in a low armchair, too preoccupied with a piece of parchment in his hand to really pay the Defense Against the Dark Arts class much heed. He did glare at Lupin when the professor entered though, which was not much of a surprise. Everyone knew Snape preferred that class over Potions.

"Hope we wont be disturbing you, Snape," Professor Lupin said courteously enough.

Snape grunted, turning his focus back to what he was reading. "Just to warn you, Lupin, I wouldn't give Neville Longbottom anything too difficult unless he's getting help from another student."

Though there was not much malice in Snape's voice, it still made Neville flush in embarrassment. True, he was not the best out of the Gryffindor class, but he did try.

"Actually, I was hoping that Neville would assist me in this operation," Lupin replied. He led all of them to the end of the room, past where Snape was sitting, to an old wardrobe that wobbled as they approached. Some of the students backed off.

"Nothing to worry about," Lupin assured them, "it's just a boggart."

Apparently, this _was_ something to worry about. A handful of Yugi's peers around him let out frightened gasps. Neville looked like he was going to pass out from terror.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," the professor continued, ignoring their reactions. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, even grandfather clocks. This particular one moved in yesterday, and I asked the headmaster to leave it for all of you to practice what you've been catching up on.

"Now, who can tell me what a boggart _is?"_

Not surprisingly, Hermione's hand was the first one up in the air.

"It's a shape-shifter," she answered, sounding like a textbook. "It can assume the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most."

"Precisely!" Lupin exclaimed, making Hermione glow. "So, this boggart has not assumed a form, as he doesn't know what will frighten the person on the other side of this wardrobe. All ready, we have a great advantage over it. Harry, why is this?"

Harry bit his lip, trying to think. Hermione bouncing on her feet next to him was not exactly helping him, however.

"Um… because there's so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Right you are, Harry," Lupin congratulated. "I once saw a boggart that tried to frighten two people at once. It turned into some half-slug thing. More amusing than frightening.

"And this brings us to what we need to do. What really finishes a boggart off is laughter, and to laugh at a monster that turns into our fears, we must force it to assume a shape that's amusing. The charm is rather simple. Repeat after me… riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" the class repeated as one.

"Perfect," Lupin complimented. "Now, this is where you come in Neville. Tell me, what is it that you're afraid of the most?"

Neville's eyes darted between Snape, still sitting in his chair totally oblivious, to Professor Lupin. He moved his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Sorry, didn't catch that, Neville."

Neville looked back at Snape again before giving him his answer: "Professor Snape."

Over in his chair, Snape raised an eyebrow as the rest of the class laughed. Professor Lupin had a thoughtful look on his face. He shot the other professor a bit of an apologetic look before continuing.

"Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Yeah…" Neville answered, nervous. "But, I don't want it to turn into her either."

Lupin chuckled. "No, not that, Neville. What sort of clothes does she wear?"

Neville stared at him, wondering where this was going. "A tall hat with a stuffed vulture on top. A long dress, usually green, and sometimes a fox-fur scarf. Oh, and a big red handbag."

A disgusted look appeared on Marik's face. "Where the devil does your grandmother get her fashion sense from, Neville?"

Neville grinned sheepishly as the class laughed again.

"All right, then, Neville," Lupin continued after the students settled down. "Can you picture those cloths in your mind?"

Neville nodded.

"Good," the professor replied, "because when the boggart comes out of the wardrobe, it will assume the form of Professor Snape. At this time, you will raise your wand – like so – and cry 'Riddikulus'. If all goes well, we'll have a Professor Snape in a green dress."

Snape was glaring at this point, but no one noticed, as they were too busy laughing at the thought of the oily, darkly garbed professor in a green dress and vulture-topped hat.

"Now, if Neville is successful," Lupin cut in, "the boggart will turn its attention to the rest of you. I want you all to now think of the one thing you fear the most, and a way to make it funny."

Yugi gulped; between him and his other self, they had seen plenty of things that would make anyone faint in terror. One thing stuck out the most in his mind however: the evil that had been sealed in the Millennium Items, Zork Necrophadisu. He retreated to his Soul Corridor for a moment, to see that Yami Yugi was standing outside of his Door, a sheepish look on his face.

_Any ideas on how to make _that_ funny?_ he asked.

_I couldn't even begin to guess, hikari, _Yami Yugi replied. _Err… isn't there anything else that scares you? _

Yugi sighed. _Well, I could always hope I don't get picked to go… _

_Uh-oh, they're starting. _

Yugi returned to the real world in time to see Snape looming over Neville, threateningly, reaching into his robe for his wand…

"R-r-r-riddikulus!" Neville stuttered.

There was a noise like a whip crack, and Professor Snape stumbled. He was suddenly wearing a long, lace-trimmed green dress along with a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten stuffed vulture. A gigantic red handbag swung from his shoulder, and a fox-fur scarf dangled about his neck, also looking like it had seen better days. There was a roar of laughter from the class; the real Snape looked like he was about ready to kill someone.

"Parvati! Forward!" Lupin shouted

Parvati Patel jumped forward; ready to take on the creature, as Neville gratefully stood back. The fake Snape rounded on her, and with another crack, there was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy. Its wrapped faced turned to her as it dragged its feet toward her, raising its stiff arms…

"Riddikulus!" Parvati cried.

The bandage unraveled and got tangled around the mummy's feet. It fell face first, its head rolling off.

_I find that highly offensive,_ Yami Yugi joked. Yugi's stomach was tied in so many knots, he could not even laugh mentally.

"Yugi!" Lupin roared.

It figured; Yugi darted past Parvati, still trying to think of a way to make his fear humorous.

_CRACK! _

A few people screamed; even Snape stood up from his chair in shock. In place of the fallen mummy was a horrifying specter with a billowing, blood red cape. It did not have legs, but it did not need them, as the armored torso of the creature hovered a good four or five feet above the ground. Its mummified hands reached out for Yugi, but he did not really notice. He felt like he had frozen all over, as he stared up once again at Zork Necrophadisu's mummified face, framed by pure white hair fanning outward in an unseen wind. Where one eye was supposed to be was nothing but a hollow socket, but in the other was the Millennium Eye, just like he remembered

_Aibou, don't panic!_ Yami Yugi exclaimed within his mind. _It's not the real one! C'mon, I'll help you! _

Just when Professor Lupin was about to help, Yugi suddenly found himself breaking free of his icy fear. His wand snapped up, and he could almost feel his other half pressed up against him, his hand helping hold up his wand.

"Riddikulus!"

The boggart Zork Necrophadisu backed off, its hair suddenly replaced with a bouquet of flowers. The rest of the class laughed as Yugi retreated, grateful to be out of the limelight. He settled into a seat far away from the boggart as it started changing into several things. Never, never, _never_ did he _ever_ want to have to go through that again. The first time had been bad enough.

Yugi held the Puzzle in his hands, gripping the edges tightly. He did not know what he would have done without his other half. Yami Yugi had to have been the one who came up with that idea to make the specter humorous. His own mind had been a total blank; it would have been embarrassing if he had been the only one who could not get the boggart to change.

-.oOOo.-

Late in the night found Yami Yugi pacing the length of the Gryffindor common room, his own thoughts about what had happened that day keeping him awake. True, he had to congratulate Professor Lupin; that had been the best lesson him and his hikari had ever had, with the exception of Necrophadisu appearing right in the middle of it. Maybe they should have said something, never mind the fact that it would have made them look like cowards. They had a good reason after all; judging from the reaction everyone had given, not too many other people were thrilled about seeing the dark spirit.

He was about to plop down on an armchair, when a sharp bolt of fear piercing right through his heart made him jump.

His hikari was having a nightmare.

Yami Yugi bounded up the stairs noiselessly, despite the fact that he was so solid now. He rushed through the third year's bedroom door and to his hikari's four-poster bed. Drifting a bit through the curtains, he looked in on his lighter half to see him tossing and turning in his sleep and muttering incoherently. Resting a hand on his shoulder, he sent a jolt of awareness through him, forcing him out of his dream. Yugi remained lying on his side for a moment, breathing heavily, before turning to see him. Before Yami Yugi knew what was happening, his hikari had latched himself around his waist, crying his eyes out on his chest.

"Shh… Shh… hikari, it was only a dream," he said soothingly. "It's all right now."

"I… I should have told Professor Lupin I didn't want to do it," Yugi sobbed, his voice shaking. "Now, a-all I can see is… is Necrophadisu…"

Yami Yugi hugged his hikari fiercely before resting him back on his pillow again. "Don't worry about that," he said, sternly but comfortingly. "Necrophadisu is gone forever now, and you'll never have to see him again. Rest now; I'll be right here."

Yugi's face suddenly down turned into a frown. "How can I be sure about that?"

Yami Yugi blinked, caught off guard and a little hurt. "What do you mean?"

Yugi sat up again. "I mean, you've been wandering around by yourself lately. I mean you're almost always talking to Aishisu. I mean it feels like you're leaving me behind."

The spirit of the pharaoh raised an eyebrow. Was that… jealousy he had detected in his hikari's voice? He mentally shook his head; no, it could not be, his hikari did not float that way. He shook his head for real, smiling gently.

"I could never leave behind the half of myself that makes me whole," he declared. "I'm never leaving you."

Yugi still looked a little unsure, getting a mental sigh out of Yami Yugi. Sometimes, he wished the two of them were in his time in Egypt, where he could have proven his sincerity with more than just words. He could have built Yugi a grand palace next to his own, and showered him with gifts as well as his constant attention. He could have even…

_Whoa, hold it right there,_ he told himself. _You don't float that way either, remember? _

He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder again, giving it a slight squeeze. "I promise you, I'm not leaving your side, okay?"

Yugi smiled up at him. "Okay. Good night, mou hitori no boku."

"Good night, aibou."

-.oOOo.-

Everyone was still talking about their fantastic Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson the following Monday. Harry was annoyed by it, though; apparently, Lupin had prevented him from having his try against the boggart. Yugi wished it had been the same with him, but then again, the professor probably stopped Harry from having a turn because he was afraid of Voldemort showing up in the middle of the class. He pointed this out to him, but that did make Harry any happier. His fear was not Voldemort; his fear was the dementors, and he told them as much as him, Yugi, Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Marik made their way down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures.

"Yes, Voldemort does frighten me," he consented, "but all he can do is kill me. Those dementors can do far worse than that."

The six Gryffindors arrived at the hut, to see that Bakura and the other Hufflepuffs in their class had all ready gathered around a small paddock near the house. The white-haired boy waved to them energetically, visibly excited.

"Hagrid said he's got something special to show us today!" he exclaimed.

"Just as long as it isn't anymore flobberworms," Draco commented dryly.

"Oh, Draco honey, don't want to see your best friends anymore?" a snobbish voice behind them asked. Draco did not even bother to turn around.

"Bug off Ecillia," he snapped.

Ecillia was never one to take a hint though. "This place has seriously gone to the dogs," she said loudly. "Especially with that idiot teaching classes. I should tell my uncle about it, see what he can –"

"Shut up, Ecillia," Harry interrupted.

"Careful, Pothead, there's a dementor behind you –"

One of the Hufflepuffs squealed in delight, cutting her royal annoying-ness off. On the opposite side of the paddock, being led around by Hagrid, were a dozen of what had to be the most bizarre creatures in the magic world. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of a horse, yet the front legs, wings, and heads of an eagle. Hagrid steered them toward the fence where everyone was waiting, and the class backed up as they came to a stop.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid exclaimed, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

Yugi, Bakura, and Marik went closer to the gate to get a better look at the creatures (everyone else still hung back nervously). Hagrid was right; once you got over the shock of seeing something that was half horse and half bird, they really were magnificent.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," Hagrid instructed. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle were not paying attention, and Harry got a sinking feeling they were plotting on how to disrupt the lesson.

"Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid kept going, not noticing the three of them were not paying attention. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn't bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.

"Right… so, who wants ter go first?"

The whole class took another step back at the proposition. Even Yugi, Harry, Marik, Draco, Hermione, and Ron had their misgivings, but not Bakura. Feeling a bit reckless, he announced he would do it before he vaulted over the paddock fence.

"Good man, Bak'ra!" Hagrid roared. "Right then, let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

He pulled a steel gray hippogriff away from the others, slipping off its leather collar. The class behind the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Ecillia was watching him with narrowed eyes, as if daring him to mess up.

"Easy now, Bak'ra," Hagrid said quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink… Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"

Bakura's eyes instantly started to water, but he refused to blink; Buckbeak was staring at him with his large, yellow eyes.

_Don't do anything reckless, hikari,_ Yami Bakura muttered within his mind. _If it looks like it's going to attack, let me take over so I can get us out of here quickly. _

Bakura was not going to argue with that.

"Tha's it," Hagrid was saying. "Tha's it, Bak'ra… now bow…"

Bakura bent down at the waist, not taking his eyes off of the hippogriff. He came back up and waited, but the animal was still staring at him haughtily.

"Ah…" Hagrid began, sounding worried, "right, back away now, Bak'ra. Easy does it –"

Suddenly, to Bakura's surprise, the hippogriff bent its scaly front knees into an unmistakable bow. Bakura's face lit up; he did it!

"Well done, Bak'ra!" Hagrid exclaimed. "Now yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

He walked up to the animal and patted his beak. Buckbeak closed his eyes lazily, enjoying the special treatment. Meanwhile, the rest of the class broke out into applause, except for Ecillia and her entourage, who looked disappointed.

"Righ' then, Bak'ra," Hagrid continued. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride him!"

Bakura's head came up, worried. "R-ride?"

"Sure! Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," the giant of a man explained, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that…"

Bakura fought back a gulp. He had never ridden anything before, except during broom flying lessons in his first year, something he was not remotely good at.

_What do you think?_ he asked.

_Ah, what the hell?_ Yami Bakura replied. _What's the worst that could happen? You'll fall? _

Bakura fought back a sigh; his tomb robber other half obviously had no regards for danger. He put a foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing, hoisting himself up onto his back. He looked around as the hippogriff stood up, not sure what it was he was supposed to hold onto. Everything in front of him was covered in feathers.

"Go on, then!" Hagrid exclaimed, slapping the hippogriff's hindquarters.

Bakura settled for wrapping his arms around the hippogriff's neck as the twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of him. They soared upward, and he shut his eyes tightly in fear as the creature's wings beat uncomfortably against his legs, making him feel like he was about to be thrown off.

After a moment, however, he got up enough courage to open his eyes, and beheld the awesome sights around him. Below, he could see the others, pointing up at him excitedly. Just to the side, the forbidden forest stretched out, not looking as "forbidden" in the daylight. Before him, Hogwarts castle loomed, just hiding the lowering sun. All this was just so… so…

"Woohoo!" Bakura whooped in excitement.

_Yahoo! _

He chuckled; apparently, his other half was enjoying himself too.

All too soon, the ride was over, and Bakura and Buckbeak landed roughly back in the paddock. He whispered his thanks to the hippogriff before jumping off.

"Good work, Bak'ra!" Hagrid congratulated as almost everyone cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

The rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock, much to Hagrid's delight. He untied the other hippogriffs one by one, and soon students were bowing to the creatures. Ron and Harry had decided to practice on a chestnut colored one, while Hermione and Marik were already patting the black one they had bowed to. Neville had to keep running away from his, as it obviously did not like him very much. Yugi and Draco's bronze one had taken to them almost immediately, and every time they went to check on the others, the creature butted them lightly to be petted.

Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak, who had already bowed to the three of them. Ecillia was petting the creature's beak, a disdainful look on her face.

"This is very easy," she declared, loud enough so Bakura could hear. "I knew it would have been, if Whitey could do it. You're not all that dangerous at all, are you, you big ugly brute?"

What happened next went very fast. There was a flash of gray talons, and Ecillia let out a high-pitched scream. Soon, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar while trying to get to where she was curled up on the grass, blood staining her robes.

"I'm dying!" she wailed pathetically. "I'm dying! That monster's killed me!"

"Yer not dyin'!" Hagrid objected, lifting her up in his arms.

Hermione went to open the gate to the paddock, and as the giant of a man passed, Draco could see a long, deep gash on Ecillia's thin arm. Blood splattered onto the grass as Hagrid ran with her back up to the castle. The rest of the class followed, with Hermione locking the gate to the paddock behind them. The Slytherins in the class started shouting about Hagrid, demanding him to be fired and other such ludicrous things, before they went off to their own common room in the dungeons. Yugi and the others started for the library, hoping they could catch Seto in there before dinnertime.

"Do you think she'll be all right?" Draco asked, a bit nervously.

"'Course she will. Madam Pomfrey can mend just about anything," Harry said. "You know that, Draco."

"Yeah, but…" he trailed off, kicking at the ground. "She _is_ my cousin. Can't help but be a little worried."

"I wouldn't worry so much," Bakura replied, comfortingly. "Still though, trust Ecillia to screw things up for Hagrid."


	7. Sirius Troubles at Hogwarts

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER SEVEN – SIRIUS TROUBLES AT HOGWARTS**

The start of October brought the one thing that Harry, Marik, and Draco had been looking forward to since school let out last year: Quidditch. In the beginning of the year, Oliver Wood – the seventh year captain of their team – had approached Draco, asking him what he could contribute to the team and if there would ever be a conflict of interest when going up against his old house. He responded by taking up his Nimbus 2001 and demonstrating all the positions like a pro. After Oliver picked his mouth off the floor, he decided to sign him on as a "universal replacement".

The first Thursday of the month found all seven of the Gryffindor players and the two replacements gathered in the common room. Oliver kept pacing back and forth, his nervousness obvious.

"Yes, we won our first Quidditch Cup in five years, two year ago, but I'm greedy," he admitted. "So far, we've had the worst luck: injuries, the tournament getting cancelled. This is our last chance – _my_ last chance – to win another one, and I know that this year we'll do it, because we have the _best ruddy team in the school!" _

There was an odd, maniac glint in his eyes. Draco gave Harry and Marik a worried look, but they did not really seem to be concerned. Apparently, this was typical.

"The point is," Wood continued, the glint fading almost right away, "we would have gotten the Cup last year if it hadn't been cancelled. Ever since Harry and Marik joined the team, we've had this thing in the bag, but…"

He sounded so pathetic, even the Weasley twins felt sorry for him.

"We'll knock 'em off their brooms this year, Oliver," Fred declared.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" chaser Angelina Johnson exclaimed.

"Most definitely," Marik replied with a cocky grin.

The team started training sessions right away, getting to the point where they were practicing three evenings a week. That, coupled with their new classes, meant that Harry, Draco, and Marik only had enough time for homework and practice. It provided a good distraction for Draco at least; every now and then, he would run into Professor Shadi in the hallways, no matter how much he tried to avoid him, and he would keep asking him the same question: "Do you know what that feather is?" He did not know if the professor was entirely sane, and considered going to Dumbledore, but eventually decided against it – it would not be the first time a weird teacher had taught at the school.

More excitement came later in the month, when the Gryffindor team came up from practice into a common room buzzing with activity.

"What's going on?" Marik asked.

"First Hogsmeade trip!" Yugi exclaimed, pointing to a post up on the house bulletin board. "Right on Halloween! Isn't that awesome?"

"Wonderful," Harry replied dryly, plopping down in a chair.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry frowned. "I couldn't get my permission form signed," he explained. "I didn't get the chance. I doubt they'd let me out anyway, with Black still on the loose and all."

Draco bit his lip, but did not say anything. He noticed, but Hermione spoke up before he could ask what was wrong.

"Black wouldn't do anything so close to Hogsmeade," she pointed out. "And, hey, maybe you could get Seto to sign your permission form. He's his own guardian, after all."

Unfortunately, that did not get them very far. Harry approached Seto with the idea the next day during their study session at the library. The elder boy just shook his head.

"I couldn't sign my own permission form," he replied sourly. "I had to get my secretary to do it."

Yami Bakura took over his hikari at that, the only evidence of this being an uncharacteristic snicker coming out of his mouth.

"Oh, I could just picture that," the tomb robber sneered. He started to mimic Seto as he continued, "Here; file these papers, fill out this form, and sign my permission slip."

_WHACK!_ Yami Seto appeared suddenly and clocked the tomb robber over the head with the Millennium Rod, only…

"Ow!" Ryou Bakura complained. "What'd you do that for?"

-.oOOo.-

Halloween morning dawned bright and chilly, and unfortunately Harry still had not found a way to get into Hogsmeade. Yugi offered that he would stay at the school with him, but he insisted that they all go. They were a bit reluctant to leave him behind – especially Yugi – but Harry all but shoved them out the door and into the invisible horse drawn carriages.

Yugi waited until they were past the gates of the school and the horrifying dementors, before he looked out the window of the carriage he shared with Marik, Bakura, and Seto. Marik had his Gameboy Advance in hand and was playing some game on it, while Bakura had a distant look on his face, more than likely talking with his other half.

"Yugi-kun," Seto began, drawing his attention away from outside. "Has anything strange happened to you yet?"

Yugi blinked. "No, why?"

He shook his head. "Professor Trelawney really freaked me out that first day," he explained. "I can't help but wonder if some of the things she said were – or would be – true."

Yugi scrunched up his face in thought. He could have sworn she saw Lavender Brown crying on the sixteenth of that month, but he did not know what it was about. Though, he did understand what Seto was so worried about: Professor Trelawney had predicted that someone in their class would have to return home to tend to a younger muggle brother. Even he hoped nothing bad would happen to Mokuba.

"I'm sure Mokuba-kun will be all right," Yugi assured him. "He's just as healthy as you are. The most he's likely to get is a head cold."

Seto smirked slightly. "Yeah, I hope you're right."

"Whoa!" Marik suddenly exclaimed, poking his head out the carriage window.

The sight of the wizard's village before them instantly dashed whatever regrets they had about leaving Harry behind. It looked like something out of an old storybook, with thatched roof houses dotting about a long dirt road. Old country-style signs daggled outside some of the buildings, advertising places like the Three Broomsticks and Zonko's Joke Shop. There were no muggles in sight; only wizards and witches in typical – and not so typical – colored robes wandered about, talking to each other or hurrying past the Hogwarts carriages to get to the various shops and bars they had already passed.

The carriages came to a gradual halt, and Yugi and the others threw themselves out of their ride and onto the dirt street. They looked about, wide eyes and mouths open, as Hermione, Ron, Draco, and the Weasley twins joined them.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Fred asked. "Even fifth years like us never get tired of this place."

"You're only saying that because the joke shop keeps you two supplied," Ron replied sourly.

"Nothing wrong with that," George replied a little too innocently. Draco sighed.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to find something in my bed again tonight?" he asked.

Fred just smiled, getting another sigh out of him. Suddenly, Yami Seto appeared next to his hikari, and before he knew what was going on, Seto found himself in a playful little chokehold, courtesy of his other half. He gagged a bit, even though the dark spirit did not have that tight of a hold on him.

"Do you mind?" he demanded.

"Not at all," Yami Seto replied, a huge grin on his face. "Do you think anyone will panic too much if they see a couple of students walking around with us crazy Egyptian spirits? I wouldn't mind stretching my legs, y'know."

"I don't see the harm in it," Hermione said thoughtfully. "I'd imagine they've seen stranger things…"

With that said, the other Egyptian spirits appeared next to their respective hikaris. Yami Bakura stretched his arms above his head, letting out a loud yawn. He rubbed his stomach, looking about.

"Hum… I could use some food," he said. Bakura put his hands on his hips, a frown on his face.

"I just had breakfast!" he exclaimed. "How can you be hungry?"

Yami Bakura frowned. "Because you never eat anything good!" he returned. "Rare meat, a tall mug of ale; now _that's_ a meal! C'mon!"

Bakura let out a yelp of surprise as the tomb robber grabbed his robe sleeve and started dragging him off toward one of the taverns they had passed. Everyone stared after them, a couple sweatdrops among them. Aishisu sighed, rubbing her forehead tiredly.

"He does realize that he's not going to get away with that, does he?" she asked. "His light is underage; there's no way anyone would serve him alcohol."

Yami Seto sighed. "That's the only disadvantage of the modern world."

Seto pushed his other half off of him. "What are you complaining about?" he asked.

Marik raised an eyebrow. "You drink already, Seto? Geeze, I know running a company is tough, but really…"

All of a sudden, the twins plowed past them, each of them looping an arm around one of Yami Yugi's arms and dragging the pharaoh along with them. He let out a yelp of surprise, caught off guard and trying to break away from them.

"C'mon! We've stalled enough!" Fred exclaimed.

"Let's go, pharaoh!" George cried good-naturedly. "We'll introduce you to Zonko's Joke Shop. Yami Bakura can't be the only spirit that makes fun of his other half."

Yami Yugi looked over his shoulder, an uncharacteristically worried look on his face. "Aibou…!"

Yugi could not help himself. He smiled innocently and waved after him. "Have fun, mou hitori no boku!"

The spirit of the pharaoh groaned as the twins continued to drag him along. After a moment, Draco ran after them.

"Hey, wait up!" he called. "Just because you play pranks on me doesn't mean I can't fight back!"

The disappeared down the street. Hermione suddenly grabbed Marik around the arms and started tugging him off.

"C'mon," she urged. "There are a couple places I want to check out."

Both Marik and Aishisu were dragged off before either of them could protest. That left Yugi, Ron, Seto, and Yami Seto as the only ones left not heading off anywhere yet.

"Do you want to go to the candy shop?" Ron asked. "They've got a lot of great stuff there."

"Sure!" Yugi exclaimed. "Seto?"

Seto shook his head. "Maybe later," he said. "I need something to drink."

"Try the Three Broomsticks," Ron suggested. "They've got _wonderful _butterbeer. Warms you right up too."

The four of them split up, with Seto and his other half heading back to the Three Broomsticks and Yugi and Ron going off to Honeydukes, the candy shop.

Yugi was in heaven as soon as they entered the shop. Creamy fudge, various colored toffees, several neat rows of Every Flavor Beans dotted the place, along with Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbees, Droobels Best Blowing Gum, Toothflossing Stringmints, Pepper Imps, Ice Mice, and so many others. They wandered about the crowded store, going through all the aisles and picking up things they wanted for both themselves and Harry until they made it back to the "Unusual Tastes" section. Back there were strange things like cockroach clusters and bloodpops ("I should pick up one for Yami Bakura," Yugi joked), which did not appeal to either of their tastes.

The two of them ended up coming out of the candy shop an hour later, both of them loaded down with enough sweets to last them the rest of the school year. Ron raced off, having seen his brothers across the street, while Yugi went hunting for his other half. The spirit of the pharaoh was so much like a real person now, maybe he would be able to share in the candy he had picked up. He passed the joke shop and the post office, and was about to call out his darker half's name, when he heard a shout of triumph coming from a small alleyway next to the office. Pressing his back up against the wall of the place, he strained to hear what was going on.

"So! It's about _time_ you admitted it to yourself! I thought the tomb robber would win an award for world peace by the time you said anything."

Yugi frowned. That sounded like Aishisu.

"Yes, yes. Now that you've finished gloating, how am I going to tell him?"

Yugi felt himself turn green; that was definitely Yami Yugi. There was no mistaking that voice.

"He's your light," Aishisu pointed out. "You should know the best way to approach him."

"Do you mind on giving me something other than the standard, 'I don't know, figure it out for yourself,' BS answer?" Yami Yugi replied, sounding like he was on his last thread of patience. "This is something that affects how we look at each other for the rest of our lives. Your opinion is important in all this."

Yugi felt his heart starting to break away into little, bitty pieces. No, no… it could not be true. Yami Yugi promised him that he would not leave him. He had to know that if he liked Aishisu, the two of them could not be with each other anymore, not unless Hermione dumped Marik, and that would not be happening any time in the next millennium.

He clutched at his chest, trying to keep his emotions under control. His optimism was failing him at the moment, and it was starting to hurt him deep inside. It was a horrible piercing feeling, penetrating deep into his soul; a feeling of deep sadness, deep depression, deep despair… he could not quite describe it.

"Pharaoh, you've had all the training of an inspiring speaker," Aishisu assured him. "I don't think you'll need much help, but I'll at least give you an angle of approach. Just… start by talking to him, lead him along into it, and then… just tell him."

"'Just tell him'?" Yami Yugi repeated, obviously confused. "Tell him _how?"_

Aishisu sighed, obviously starting to get annoyed. "Do I have to take you step by step? Sorry, sorry," she said almost immediately. "All right. You might want to try something like: 'Yugi, you mean so much to me, but I hope you'll understand when I say –'"

Yugi did not stay around to find out the rest of the coaching session. He took off down the street, leaving the pieces of his heart behind.

-.oOOo.-

"—'I love you'," Aishisu finished. "Now, is that so hard?"

Yami Yugi sighed, running a hand through his bangs. He had been doing a lot of thinking since the night he had comforted his hikari after his nightmare. It was hard to admit, particularly to himself, that he felt so strongly toward another guy, but it was even harder trying to ignore how he felt too. What worried him the most, above everything else, was that Yugi would not feel the same way and distance himself from him. Being pushed away from him was something that the pharaoh feared above everything else. That was why he asked Hermione to let Aishisu take over, so he could talk to her.

He was about to reply to the priestess' question, when he felt an arm resting on the top of his head. He glared upward, recognizing the silver armband.

"That's not an armrest, you know," he snapped.

Yami Seto leaned over slightly so he could see him. "Oh, but it's the perfect height for one!"

"Knock it off," Seto's voice came from behind him. The High Priest let out a shout of surprise as his lighter half grabbed the hood of his robes and pulled him off. Yami Yugi turned to them in time to see Yami Seto grab his hikari around the neck and give him a brief nuggie.

"We were wondering if you managed to break away from the Weasley twins yet," Yami Seto said, serious now, as Seto attempted to straighten out his hair, grumbling the whole time. "You want to head to the candy shop now? Yugi said he was going that way."

"Let me see if he's still there," Yami Yugi offered, before reaching to the mind link he shared with his hikari. There was a brief moment where he had a distant look on his face, before… "That's odd. He's… blocking me?"

He did not even try to hide the bewildered look on his face. Why would Yugi ever want to block contact with him?

"This doesn't sound good," Yami Seto stated, concerned. "We should split up and look for him."

Seto and Yami Seto were the first to head out of the small alleyway, with the two of them trying to go two different ways. The High Priest did not notice that they split up, and ended up falling to the ground when the limit he could travel away from his other half was reached. Seto either did not see him, or did not care, as he kept on walking, dragging Yami Seto behind him ("Okay, we'll go your way then"). Yami Yugi and Aishisu sighed and shook their heads, before splitting up themselves. The priestess headed for Honeydukes, while the pharaoh went in the direction of a rickety old shack atop a hill…

-.oOOo.-

Bakura followed his other half around the gate that surrounded the Shrieking Shack, the supposedly most haunted house in the world. He could not see what was so special about it – it just looked like a rickety old shack to him – but Yami Bakura seemed anxious to try and get inside. It was bad enough that his darker half had taken over earlier and downed a couple of rare steaks. His stomach was still doing flip-flops, and he knew he would have one heck of a case of indigestion later on that day.

"Can we go now?" Bakura insisted. "This is boring."

Yami Bakura glared back at him. "C'mon, hikari, what happened to that sense of adventure you displayed in Care of Magical Creatures that day?"

"I left it with the hippogriff."

The tomb robber rolled his eyes. "You have absolutely no –"

He stopped in mid-sentence when the two of them caught the sound of rushing footsteps. Yami Bakura grabbed his hikari and pulled him along into a nearby brush. They crouched down, just as Yugi came up the path, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, he tripped over something and fell, landing on the ground with a painful sounding "thud". Instead of trying to get up, he stayed on the ground, covering his face with his arms, still crying his eyes out. Bakura got up to go to him, but the tomb robber kept him down.

"Shhh!" he insisted before his hikari could protest. "The pharaoh's coming."

"So what should we do?" Bakura whispered.

A sly smile appeared on Yami Bakura's face. "You've got your camera on you, right?"

Moments later, Yami Yugi stumbled up the path. Seeing his hikari on the ground, he rushed over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Aibou, are you okay?" he asked, concern obvious in his voice. "Did Ecillia say something? 'Cause if she did I'll –"

"Get _away_ from me!" Yugi exclaimed, somehow getting up enough strength to push him off and get back up to his feet. He whirled on his darker half, his tear stained face twisted in despair. Yami Yugi looked up at him in surprise. Never in all the years he had known him had he ever see him like this.

"A…aibou… what is it?" he asked, stunned.

"What do you care?" Yugi demanded between sobs. "Your love for Aishisu obviously means more to you than our bond."

Yami Yugi blinked. "Where did you get _that_ from?"

Yugi just glared. "I heard you," he sobbed. "I heard you two just now, talking about how you were supposed to tell me how much you two love each other. Well, you know what? You can have your love!"

Before the pharaoh knew what was happening, Yugi had taken off the Puzzle and thrown it to the ground. Yami Yugi dived for it, but missed. Thankfully, none of the pieces came loose, getting a sigh of relief out of him. Yugi made to take off toward the village, but his other self jumped him before he could get the chance. He struggled for a moment against his grasp, but eventually gave up, melting into a fit of uncontrollable sobs. His darker half buried his face into his hair, waiting until he calmed down a little.

"Yugi."

Yugi started, looking up from his sobs. His other half almost never called him by his name; he always called him "aibou".

"I… I'm sorry, you thought that's what we were talking about," Yami Yugi began, deciding it best to start from the beginning. "Other than Seto, Aishisu was my most trusted advisor and council back in the days of my reign. When it came to insights on the way people thought and the possible outcomes of people's actions, it was her I always turned to. She was the one person I could turn to if I needed to share some of my deepest, darkest secrets with someone, as she would never reveal them to anyone. That was, until I met you. But, there was… something… I couldn't really share with you. Not right away at least."

He paused a moment, bracing himself. It was coming: the difficult words. Somewhere off to the distance, something was clicking – probably some kind of bird or insect. He did not really focus on it; he needed to choose what he was going to say next _very_ carefully.

"Ever since we gained our 'complete bond', I've been wondering what we're supposed to be to each other," he continued slowly, trying to gauge his hikari's reactions. "Friends? Partners? Brothers? It doesn't describe what we are to one another accurately enough. At times, it would seem like we were one person, and at other times – like last year when Riddle controlled you – it would be a reality check; a realization that we were two people." He paused again, biting his lip. "No, let me rephrase that: the reality check would be whenever you're taken from me. It's then that I realize that… that I…"

Yami Yugi's throat suddenly felt dry. Gods above, this was harder than Aishisu made it out to be, and that clicking noise was not helping any. He wished that bird or insect or whatever would move on already.

He felt Yugi stirring a bit restlessly, waiting for him to finish. Yami Yugi squeezed his eyes shut and fought back a gulp; he was not used to bearing his soul like this. Regardless though, he had to say it now; he could not let anything else distract him.

"Aishteru, Yugi."

His hikari visibly stiffened. Oh no; he should have known Yugi would react that way. He rushed to explain himself.

"I don't… normally feel this way toward men," he explained, trying not to sound so lame. "It's just you. It's just us." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Please understand…"

There was a long moment where Yugi did not move, and Yami Yugi felt himself holding his breath. The clicking had finally stopped, not that it really mattered _now,_ after he said what he wanted to say. He released his grip slightly, waiting for his hikari to run off and not look back, but the small boy did no such thing. Instead, Yugi turned around in his arms, looking up at him with his sad, wide eyes. The pharaoh saw a glint of happiness and understanding in those eyes, and he felt his heart soar up to the heavens. He pulled his hikari into a warm embrace, and Yugi stood up on his tiptoes, reaching up to wrap his arms around his neck. Yami Yugi felt like he was on cloud nine; it was such a relief off his chest that he had been able to tell his hikari how he felt, and that he understood those feelings.

_Click, click, click. _

Yami Yugi grimaced; that clicking thing was back. It sure did pick the lousiest times. Yugi stiffened at the sound of it.

"Doesn't that sound like a camera to you?"

Yami Yugi stiffened as well, listening intently at the clicking noise. There was one last _click_, which was quickly by a loud _whirring_ sound. A dark, angry look suddenly appeared on his face. He only knew two people who owned a camera. One of them was in their second year, and still at the school. The other…

"That tomb robber is _so_ dead," he hissed.

Over in their hiding place in the brush, Yami Bakura was fighting back a snicker while watching the dial on his hikari's camera as it spun back to "zero". Bakura sweatdropped at his other half's actions, wishing the tomb robber would act his age every now and then. The camera finished rewinding the film inside with a _click,_ and Yami Bakura turned to his hikari.

"Okay," he whispered, "we've got enough incriminating photos to last us the rest of the school year. Let's get out of here."

"You really shouldn't have done that," Bakura interjected. "That was a really private moment. If we get caught, Yami Yugi-kun will be furious."

"Baka hikari, haven't I told you before?" Yami Bakura replied, still whispering. "A king of thieves such as myself does _not_ get caught."

As soon as he said this, someone grabbed him by his shirt and hauled him upward, and Yami Bakura found himself staring face to face with a highly _pissed off_ Yami Yugi. Behind him, Yugi had his arms crossed, the recovered Millennium Puzzle dangling from one hand, and had an annoyed look on his face. The tomb robber sweatdropped as he laughed nervously, trying to figure out how he was going to get out of this one.

"P-problem Ph-Pharaoh?" he asked, trying to sound totally innocent. The Millennium Puzzle around Yami Yugi's neck started to glow in response, getting a groan out of the tomb robber. "No…! Not the graveyard! Anything but the graveyard _again!"_

Whatever Yami Yugi was going to do, he did not get the chance to do it as he suddenly erupted in flames. Yugi let out a shout of surprise, and took out his wand to cool him off, when the flames died off on their own, leaving a charred and burnt – and _very_ surprised – pharaoh behind.

"Yami Bakura-kun!" Yugi accused. The tomb robber just shrugged sheepishly, a huge grin on his face.

"Don't look at me."

Yugi turned accusingly to Bakura, who was standing a bit away, fingering his wand nervously. He looked up at him, anxious and apologetic all at once.

"Well, I couldn't exactly let him send Yami Bakura-kun to the graveyard, you know," he said, trying to defend himself. "He's literally a part of me now. I think if he got sent to the graveyard, I'd end up there too, and I didn't even do anything."

"It was _your _camera," Yami Yugi coughed, trying to sound threatening, but the "Kentucky-fried or extra crispy?" look was not helping him any. Yami Bakura sniggered, prying the pharaoh's hand off of his robes.

"C'mon, pharaoh, let's find a place that will clean you up," he suggested. Yami Yugi glared.

"You better promise that you wont tell _anyone_ until we're ready to say something," he snarled.

Yami Bakura held up his hand. "I swear on my honor as the king of thieves that no utterance of this shall escape my lips."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Translation: the whole school will know by next week."

-.oOOo.-

A few minutes passed after Yugi, Bakura, and their yamis left the vicinity of the Shrieking Shack. After that time, three people approached where the scuffle had been between the tomb robber and the pharaoh. The girl of the group bent down slightly, pushing around some dried up leaves with her good arm, looking for something. Finally, a silvery camera with the brand name "Olympus" emblazoned on the front was revealed, and the girl picked it up, a feral grin on her face.

"This could be… useful…" she sneered. Her two companions laughed rather stupidly as she got back to her feet. She tossed the camera to the shorter of the two, ordering, "Crabbe, make sure that gets developed as soon as possible. Muggle way, wizard way; I don't care which.

"I'm going to have a lot of fun with this…"

-.oOOo.-

The trip back to Hogwarts was rather uneventful, the only thing happening that was worthy of note was Bakura realizing his camera was missing. For their part, Marik and Seto could not understand why Yugi thought this was a good thing. Speaking of which, the short boy looked happier than they had seen him in months, as if he had just gotten some huge burden off of his chest. Any questions to that effect ended with Marik and Seto even more in the dark.

Everyone who went on the Hogsmeade trip instantly went to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast. The rest of the school was already there, and Yugi, Marik, Draco, Hermione, and Ron joined up with Harry at the Gryffindor table. Ron and Yugi handed the young wizard the bags of candy they had gotten him, as he filled them all in on what he had been doing when he was gone.

"Okay, lemme get this straight," Marik began. "You were talking with Lupin, Snape came in, gave him a potion, and… he drank it? Willingly? Is he an _idiot?" _

Yugi elbowed him. "Lower it, Marik-kun!"

"I've got to agree with him, though," Draco cut in. "I mean, _everyone_ knows that Professor Snape wants to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Yeah," Ron agreed, "I bet he would do _anything_ to get it, too!"

"Oh, you're all blowing this out of proportion," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Professor Lupin said he had not been feeling well, right? Maybe it was just a potion to help him feel better. _Honestly _you guys!"

All too soon, the feast ended. Tired from the day of fun they had, and content with the food they had eaten, the six Gryffindor friends made their way back up the stairs and through the hallways of the school to get back to their common room and get some well deserved sleep. When they got up to the portrait of the Fat Lady, however, there was a large crowd of students in the hall. They looked about, trying to see what the holdup was, when Percy Weasley pushed his way past them.

"Honestly, you couldn't all have forgotten the pass –"

He stopped as soon as he got to the front of the crowd, and silence fell over all of them. Yugi jumped up and down, trying to see over everyone, but not getting any luck. Suddenly, he heard Percy's voice again.

"Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick!"

Someone in the crowd scrambled off. After a moment, Dumbledore came back with that student, and the assembled Gryffindors squeezed together to let him get through to the front. The six friends pushed their way closer, trying to see what it was that had everyone so concerned.

Hermione gasped and grabbed Marik's arm out of reflex.

"Oh no…" the Egyptian muttered.

What had once been the portrait of the Fat Lady had been slashed viciously, leaving strips of canvas as well as whole chunks on the floor. Fortunately, the Lady herself had not been harmed, but she was no longer in her own painting. Dumbledore took one look at the ruined painting before turning his attention to the sound of rushing footsteps. Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape appeared from around the bend, all of them looking rather distraught.

"We have to find her," Dumbledore stated, not bothering with explanations. "Professor McGonagall, please have Mr. Filch search all the paintings in the school for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!"

Everyone turned and looked up to seen Peeves floating into the corridor, bobbing with delight.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked. Peeves' smile faltered a bit; there were two people that he never dared to mess with, and Professor Dumbledore was one of them.

"Ashamed she is, Your Headship," Peeves explained in an oily voice. "Saw her running through the landscape on the fourth floor, crying something dreadful."

"Did she say who did this?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"Oh, yes, Professorhead," Peeves replied. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in." The poltergeist grinned devilishly. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."


	8. The Weight of Defeat

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER EIGHT – THE WEIGHT OF DEFEAT**

While the teachers searched the school for any signs of Sirius Black, the whole student body was in the Great Hall trying to get to sleep in the large and comfy purple sleeping bags Professor Dumbledore had conjured up for them. They had stayed up for awhile, until Percy (as Head Boy, he was left in charge) declared lights out. Yugi fell asleep almost immediately, a large grin on his face that the others could see clearly in the dark. Marik and Hermione followed soon after, their sleeping bags a little _too_ close together. Around three in the morning, only Harry and Draco were still awake, trying to come up with ideas on how Black could have gotten into the school, when they saw Professor Dumbledore enter the Great Hall and approach Percy only a short distance away. They instantly dropped into their sleeping bags, pretending to be asleep as the two of them conversed.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" Percy asked in a hushed whisper.

"No. Is all well here?"

"Everything is under control, sir."

"Good," Dumbledore replied, sounding relieved. "I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. Everything will be fine tomorrow morning."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"She's hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. She's still distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Filch restore her."

The doors to the Great Hall opened again, and Harry was just in the right position to see Professor Snape enter the room and cross hurriedly over to Professor Dumbledore.

"Headmaster," he began, "everything's been searched. Black is no where to be seen."

"I didn't expect him to linger," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully.

"Have you any theory as to how he broke in, Headmaster?"

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."

From the position that Draco was in, he was able to see the three of them easily without them knowing that he was awake. Percy was standing at attention, as always, while Snape's whole body had gone ridged. When he spoke next, he sounded _quite_ angry.

"It seems impossible that Black could have entered without inside help. I did express my concerns when you –"

Dumbledore cut him off, "I trust everyone in this school without question. Now, I must go to the dementors. I told them I would inform them of our progress."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" Percy asked.

"Oh yes," Dumbledore answered dryly, "but no dementor will ever set foot in this school as long as I'm headmaster."

The three of them went off then, with Professor Dumbledore leaving via the front doors to get to the Front Foyer and the entrance of the school. Once the coast was clear, Harry and Draco lifted their heads from their sleeping bags once more, concerned looks on both their faces.

"What was that all about?" Draco whispered.

"Snape is hiding a darkness in his heart."

Both Harry and Draco jumped, turning to where Yugi was sleeping. Yami Yugi was lying out on his stomach next to him, having appeared from the confines of his Soul Room.

"I really hate it when you do that," Draco hissed.

Yami Yugi smirked before continuing. "I noticed it in the first year that we were here," he explained. "That time that Snape had disappeared for so long; that was because of me. We had played a Yami-no-Game and, well, he lost. While he suffered punishment, I noticed that something was clinging still to his heart; something that had happened to him in the past."

"Could you find out what?" Harry asked.

Yami Yugi shook his head. "The Puzzle doesn't have that ability. The point is, he had been letting go of it, little by little, but something's making him take it up again."

"Black?" Draco asked.

The pharaoh just shrugged. "I honestly can't tell you."

-.oOOo.-

The day before the first Quidditch match against Slytherin, Draco and Marik were sitting in the common room, the latter of which was helping the former prepare for a Muggle Studies exam he had coming up. Suddenly, Wood came bursting though the portrait hole with Sir Cadogan, their temporary common room guardian, shouting for him to come back and face him like a man. Wood ignored the painting, however, as he was too busy twisting the piece of parchment he had in his hands.

"What's up, Wood?" Marik asked, eyeing the parchment.

"We're not playing Slytherin," the Gryffindor team captain snarled, tossing the parchment to the floor and grinding it under his foot. Draco stood up from his chair.

"What happened?" he demanded. "Did they chicken out because the weather's been bad?"

Wood sighed dramatically. "I wish I could write it off as that. Their excuse is they're waiting for the injuries of their new Seeker to heal –"

"Wait; injuries?" Marik interrupted, standing up as well. "Oh, don't tell me… _please _don't tell me!"

The team captain raised an eyebrow. "The one and only Ecillia Lestrange."

Both Marik and Draco groaned.

"Wood, I told you not to tell me," Marik muttered.

"Oh, man," Draco groaned. "Ecillia's good too. She hardly ever lost a match when she went to Durmstrang."

"She's the least of our worries," Wood cut in. "We're going to be going up against Hufflepuff."

Marik laughed. "What's to be worried about? No offense to my buddy, Bakura-kun, or anything, but the Hufflepuff team is a push over. I caught the Snitch in less than five minutes against them, remember?"

Wood looked like he was about ready to pull his hair out. "I knew you'd react like this," he muttered. "The point is, they're _not_ pushovers anymore. Their new captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory is _very _talented. We have to take them _very_ seriously."

-.oOOo.-

Yugi went rushing out of the portrait hole late the next morning. Well, hopping out was more like it, as he fought to get his sneaker tied. He was not a morning person, but he usually woke up on time during school, though there were still days – like today – that he overslept. As he hopped along, he almost lost his balance, but found himself being held up by an almost solid hand. Twisting around, he saw Yami Yugi above him, letting out a loud yawn.

"There's gotta be a law about waking up this early," the pharaoh muttered, rubbing his eyes as his hikari finished tying his sneaker.

Yugi was about to comment, when a roll of thunder cracked outside, making him jump on Yami Yugi out of reflex. The Egyptian spirit chuckled.

"Aibou, I love you too, but it's just thunder," he said. Yugi frowned before letting go of his darker half.

"I can't help it," he replied. "I hate thunder." He winced as thunder struck again. "How are they going to play in this?"

"We'll never know if we don't get going," Yami Yugi pointed out, putting a hand on his back and gently propelling him down the hallway.

They were about to enter the corridor that led to the Great Hall, when Bakura suddenly stepped in front of their path. There was a strange look on his face, almost as if he knew he was going to die any minute. Yugi commented on it, only to have the white haired boy gulp nervously.

"Okay, I just want to make it very clear," Bakura began, "I did not do this. Yami Bakura-kun did not do this. I lost my camera, and whomever found it must have done it."

Yugi felt his heart sinking. Yami Yugi looked like he was going to kill. "Did what?" he growled out.

Bakura gulped again, before stepping out of the way and allowing them to enter the other corridor. All along the walls and hanging from the ceiling were the pictures that Yami Bakura had taken of the two of them at the Shrieking Shack. Some of them were moving – and doing a little more than just hugging – while others were just stationary like normal photographs. Yami Yugi grabbed the nearest picture to him and crumbled it up, his face a mask of pure cold anger.

"If it's any consolation," Yami Bakura said, taking control, "I was never going to sink this low."

"Amazing, someone reached a point even you wont go," Yami Yugi snarled.

Yugi piped up before the tomb robber could retaliate, "How many people have seen this?"

"By now? Everyone," Yami Bakura replied. "I can guess who would do this too."

"Ecillia," the three of them said at the same time. Yami Yugi started to stalk off to find her, but the tomb robber held him back.

"Oh no, allow me," he offered, a sneer spreading across his face. "I have first dibs for her outdoing me."

As if on cue, they heard Ecillia's annoying laugh coming from down the hallway. They turned to see her strutting down the corridor, Crabbe and Goyle on either side of her as always. She smiled her mockingly pleasant smile, amused by the glare that Yami Yugi had on her.

"Why did you do this Ecillia?" Yugi demanded. She just smirked down at him.

"Oh, I just thought it was so sweet you two queers got together, that the _whole school_ should share in your new… pleasure," she replied, the smirk broadening sickeningly.

"Very amusing," Yami Bakura replied, crossing his arms. "You know, insulting the pharaoh on this level was punishable by death in the olden days." He reached into his pocket, took out the Millennium Eye, and started to toss it up and catch it. "Technically, I'm one of Hikari Pharaoh and Yami Pharaoh's priests now, and even though I can't kill you without getting Ryou expelled, I'll certainly take great pleasure in playing a Yami-no-Game."

Ecillia raised an eyebrow, not amused. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

The tomb robber smirked. "I'll make it simple for your miniscule brain to comprehend," he said, catching the Eye one last time and holding it above his head. "You. Me. Shadow Realm. _Now!" _

As he said each word, the Millennium Eye changed, flattening out, "growing" a handle and a crossbar before a gleaming silver blade shot out of the other end. He brought the Sword down, pointing it at Ecillia as darkness appeared behind him, fanning out and engulfing all six of them in the Shadow Realm. The younger wizards and witch looked around in surprise, not used to such unusual magic.

Yami Bakura slung the Millennium Sword over his shoulder, a confident sneer on his face. "Welcome to the Shadow Realm, bitch and bastards, where the Duel Monsters are real and –"

_"Excuse_ me," Ecillia cut in, tapping her foot in annoyance. "In case you forgot, I don't have my own deck."

Yami Bakura sweatdropped; he had forgotten about that.

"Nice going, tomb robber," Yami Yugi muttered.

"Shut up, pharaoh," Yami Bakura growled under his breath. "I can still save this." He turned his focus back to Ecillia. "Fine then. You chose the game. Whoever wins can do whatever they want to the looser."

Ecillia smiled devilishly. Yugi and Yami Yugi sighed, shaking their heads. They did not give the tomb robber a prayer.

-.oOOo.-

Marik stood next to Draco in the spot reserved for replacement players, squinting up through the rain as he tried to find Harry or the Snitch in the sea of red and yellow. It was almost impossible, however; the rain was coming down with such intensity that it made it difficult to see anything. With the first flash of lightning came Madam Hooch's whistle, and the two reserves rushed toward where the rest of the team was gathering under a large umbrella. Harry took off his glasses and hurriedly tried to wipe them off, but his robes were so soaked that it did not matter much.

"How are we doing?" he asked, putting them back on.

"We're fifty points up," Wood answered, "but if we don't get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing well into the night."

"I don't have a chance with these things," Harry said, pointing to his glasses.

Marik's face suddenly lit up. He snatched Harry's glasses off with one hand while reaching into his robes for his wand.

"Hermi-chan showed me this," he explained, before tapping his wand against the glasses. "Impervius!"

Marik handed them back, and when Harry put them on, he could see as clearly as he could if there were no rain at all.

"Brilliant!" Wood exclaimed. "All right, team, back into the air!"

The team took off again, leaving Marik and Draco under the umbrella. They were not exactly too keen on going back to the reservist spot, and they did not think anyone was going to complain. There was a blinding flash of lightning, followed by a deafening roll of thunder.

"This is getting dangerous!" Draco called over the roar of the rain. "I don't care who gets it, but they better get the Snitch soon!"

There was another flash of lightning, and it looked like Harry was staring off at something. He dropped a bit suddenly, when Wood started yelling from the goal posts. Though they could not hear what he was saying from the ground, Marik and Draco got the idea of what it was about from the sight of Cedric Diggory streaking up the field. Harry followed soon after, pressing himself against his broom.

"C'mon, Harry! Go!" Draco shouted as loud as he could. Marik was not paying attention to that, though. Something had dragged his attention away from the game. Something cold…

"Oh no…"

At least a hundred dementors, concealed faces pointing up toward the stands, were filing onto the field. Marik and Draco backed away, even though the horrid creatures were on the totally opposite side of the field from them. Their attention was detracted once again, as they saw a figure falling from the sky…

_"HARRY!" _

-.oOOo.-

Yugi and Yami Yugi walked down the corridor, making their way with a great amount of difficulty to the hospital wing. Between the two of them, they were carting a full body-bound, mouth sealed, and pink with lime green speckle haired Yami Bakura. The tomb robber was glaring at the pharaoh, just daring him to say something. Yami Yugi had been sorely tempted to say several things, but he wanted him to at least be in a non-murderous mood when Madam Pomfrey took the various curses off of him.

"I'm only going to say this, tomb robber," he said after what had to be the millionth glare from him. "If you're going to take being a priest seriously, maybe you should get some formal training from Yami Seto."

Yami Bakura made a sound like he sighed – though it was hard to tell, with the mouth seal, there was not even a line where his lips had been – and rolled his eyes.

"Can we hurry?" Yugi asked. "He's not exactly light, you know."

Yami Bakura growled, and glared up at him.

"Don't look at me in that tone of voice," Yugi returned. "It's not my fault you were dumb enough to let her pick the game. Did you even _know_ how to play Exploding Snap?"

"Enough, hikari," Yami Yugi admonished, fighting back a chuckle. "This really isn't that funny."

Yami Bakura fixed him with a look, as if to say, "Who are you trying to fool?"

They finally arrived in the hospital wing, to find Madam Pomfrey behind her desk as always. She stood up when she saw them, surprised at the various effects that had been placed on the tomb robber.

"Do I want to know?" she asked in a slightly strained voice.

"No," Yugi and Yami Yugi answered at the same time. Yami Bakura tried to shake his head, but he could not because of the full body bind.

She waved them over toward the back, where they made their way over to deposit the stiff tomb robber as gently as they could on one of the many hospital beds. They were about to draw up chairs for themselves when they saw that further down the way a group of muddy individuals were surrounding a bed. Further inspection proved it to be the Gryffindor Quidditch team, in addition to a very wet Hermione, Seto, and Ron. Yugi raced over to them, leaving his other half with the tomb robber.

"What happened?" he asked.

Everyone turned, and then parted, to reveal Harry on the bed, his legs curled up with his face buried in his knees.

"The dementors showed up on the field," Fred explained. "Harry fell – almost got himself killed – and, well…"

"We lost," Harry muttered into his knees.

"There's still a chance we can win the cup," George said. "Don't beat yourself up because you lost once."

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey showed up to usher out the muddy Quidditch team. They all left, trailing mud behind them. She shook her head disapprovingly before going over to Yami Bakura and trying to figure out what all was wrong with him. Hermione, Ron, and Seto stayed behind, all three of them with concerned looks on their faces. Yami Yugi joined them after a moment, having been chased away by the nurse so she could do her work without him around.

"Dumbledore was really angry," Seto told Harry. "I never thought he could get that angry. He ran out onto the field as you fell, and sort of used his wand to help slow you down so you wouldn't hit the ground so hard. Then he shot some silver stuff at the dementors and they took off."

"He was _mad,"_ Ron put in. "He did not want them to come onto the grounds. We all thought you had…"

He trailed off at that, and the only sound in the room was the occasional yelp from Yami Bakura as Madam Pomfrey tried to pry his mouth open. Harry looked up for a moment, stretching out.

"Did someone get my Nimbus?" he asked.

Ron, Seto, and Hermione did not look at him.

"What?" Harry asked, dreading the worst.

Always the blunt one, Seto took up a bag that was resting at his feet. He turned it upside down over the nightstand, and out spilled dozens of splintered bits of wood and twigs, the only remains of Harry's broom.

"The wind got a hold of it before anyone else could," Seto explained. "It hit the Whomping Willow… Well, Harry, you know what that thing can do. It didn't stand a chance."


	9. Unsettling Revelations

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER NINE – UNSETTLING REVELATIONS**

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. Bakura and his other half only wished she had allowed them to do so as well. Although the magical nurse managed to free his body of the full body bind and his sealed lips, there was nothing she could do about his hair. So, Bakura was forced to walk around the school sporting hot pink hair with lime green speckles until the effects wore off (thankfully, hot showers helped a bit). Add to that Ecillia's almost insane glee over his predicament and the fact that Gryffindor lost, and it was safe to say that things were getting to the point of unbearable.

At one point, Seto had caught Bakura in the hallway, pounding his head against a wall. Normally he would have just shaken his head and walked on, but something made him stop.

"Why are you doing that?" he asked.

THUD! "I'm thinking that–" THUD! "—if I hit my head hard enough–" THUD! "—Yami Bakura-kun—" THUD! "—will come flying out." THUD!

Seto had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing. "Been there, done that, didn't work."

Bakura sighed, turning away from the wall to lean against it. "Yami Yugi-kun suggested that the other me take lessons on being a priest from Yami Seto. Do you think that will help?"

Seto shrugged. "I don't see the harm in it."

The high priest fidgeted a bit within his mind. _Oh, no…_ he muttered. _Baka hikari… baka, baka, baka… _

Thus began Yami Seto's Sunday night, weekly torture sessions with the tomb robber.

As for Yugi and Yami Yugi, their peers took the news of them being together better than either of them expected. The only looks of revulsion they got were from the Slytherins, but who cared about their opinion, anyway? What really mattered were the opinions of their friends, and they – for the most part – did not even seem to find it that big of a deal.

"I honestly thought it was inevitable," Marik stated.

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, blushing a bit.

"C'mon, don't tell me you never even noticed!" the Egyptian returned, exasperated. "You two were almost always holding hands during the first Battle City. Not to mention the fact that before we came here, Yami Yugi-kun would not even appear outside of your body unless the two of you were alone… or thought you were alone."

Marik grinned maliciously at that, getting several sweatdrops out of the shorter boy.

The coming of December raised everyone's spirits a bit. Harry told the others that he was going to be getting anti-dementor lessons from Professor Lupin starting next term. At that announcement, Yami Bakura took over his hikari's body and all but pleaded with Harry to ask if he could get those lessons as well. The younger wizard seemed a bit reluctant at the thought of sharing private classes with the tomb robber, but eventually he did ask the professor, and Lupin agreed.

In addition to that, Hufflepuff had been totally creamed by Ravenclaw in their end of November match. Wood was back up to his usual spirits and training schedule, as now Gryffindor was back in the running for the Quidditch cup. Marik was subbing for Harry until he got a new broom. Draco kept encouraging him to get a Nimbus 2001, but that was another thing that made Harry reluctant. He had loved his first broom very much, and would give anything to have it back.

As Christmas neared, so too did another trip to Hogsmeade. Harry was once again left behind as Yugi, Draco, Seto, Hermione, Marik, Ron, and Bakura were brought with the rest of those who could go to the wizard town on the same invisible horse-drawn carriages.

"I'm telling you, there's something there," Marik argued with Seto as Yugi disembarked from the carriage, followed closely by Bakura. He was pointing to where on a normal carriage, the horse would be. "I know I'm not loosing my mind. There is _definitely_ something there!"

"And I'll say it again," Seto replied. "You're mental."

"Forget it, Marik-kun," Yugi cut in before the Egyptian could retort. "I guess some people can see those… creatures and others just can't."

Marik pointed to Yugi, not taking his eyes off Seto. "See! He can see them too! I told you I'm not crazy."

Seto smirked. "I never said you were crazy. I said you were mental. There's a difference."

Everyone's respective yamis appeared then, and Yami Seto stepped in-between his hikari and Marik before the Egyptian could inflict bodily harm. Or, at least, try to anyway; he knew better than anyone that his hikari could hold his own in a fight.

"Fight nice, please?" the high priest asked. "We're here to have fun, remember?"

Marik grumbled something under his breath before wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders and walking off. Ron shook his head.

"Ego clash?" he asked, a bemused smile on his face. Yami Seto just sighed as the younger wizard continued, "Anyway, who wants to come to the candy shop with me?"

"Me!" Yami Seto automatically exclaimed, perking up as he raised a hand. He took a moment to glance at his hikari, who sighed and nodded his head in submission.

"I'll go too," Yami Yugi said, giving Yugi's hand a slight squeeze before going off with the three of them, leaving him, Draco, Bakura, and Yami Bakura behind. Draco turned to the others, folding his hands behind his head.

"So, where do you guys want to go?" he asked. "Personally, I could go for some butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks."

Yugi twitched nervously, looking down at his hands. "Erm… actually, I was hoping you guys could help me out first."

Yami Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Why do I feel a nightmare coming on?" he asked, only to get elbowed by his hikari.

Yugi shuffled his feet. "Well, you don't have to if you don't want to… but… uh… I was wondering if you could help me pick out a present for Panseru-kun."

Sweatdrops went all around at that, and Yugi quickly went to explain himself, "I mean, it's only right, you know. Besides, I don't think he really has a good idea of the concept of Christmas."

Draco sighed. "This is going to be an interesting trip…"

Meanwhile, at Honeydukes, Yami Yugi was going through a similar situation with Ron, Yami Seto, and Seto. The pharaoh sighed at their blank expressions when he asked them for help, wondering if it would have been easier to just ask Yugi himself. After a long moment, the high priest shook off his surprise at the question first. His mouth worked slightly, trying to find the right words.

"Well… pharaoh… he is your hikari… with the added bonus that he loves you very deeply," he said, before looking to Seto for some help.

"I think what he's trying to say is," Seto began, no better at this sort of thing than his other half was, "no matter what you get Yugi, he'll love it and you just the same."

Seto glanced down to Ron to see if he could add anything. He just shook his head emphatically. "Don't look at me!" he exclaimed. "I don't know a thing about stuff like this!"

Yami Yugi sighed; at least Ron was honest when he said he did not have a clue. He made a motion indicating them to just drop it for now, and he did not miss it when all three of them visibly relaxed. Smirking slightly, he followed them to the back of the store, where the unusual tastes section was. Ron poked around, amused, until he spotted the blood pops.

"Hey, you think Harry would like those?" he joked, picking one up. Seto made a face.

"I don't think so," he replied dryly. "I'd imagine they're meant for vampires."

"If that's the case, the tomb robber would love them," Yami Yugi joked, before picking up a jar with cockroach clusters in it. "What about these things?"

"No, definitely not."

Surprised, the spirit of the pharaoh dropped the jar, and Yami Seto barely managed to grab it before it shattered on the floor. Yami Yugi did not notice, however, as he spun around to see Harry behind him.

_"Harry!"_ he exclaimed. "How… how did you…?"

"Wow!" Ron exclaimed. "You've learned how to Apparate!"

"Of course I haven't," Harry replied, before dropping his voice down to a whisper. "Fred and George gave me this map – the Marauder's Map – that's a layout of the entire school, including the hidden passages. It also keeps track of who might be where on it. It's like a miniature, two-D version of the castle."

Ron's eyes grew wide. "How come they never gave it to me?" he asked, a little hurt. "I'm their brother!"

"But he's not going to keep it," Seto objected. "He's going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall right away."

"Who says?" Harry asked.

"Are you nuts?" Yami Seto demanded of his hikari. "Hand in something that useful?"

"Useful?" Seto returned, bristling slightly. "Yeah, useful in getting us in trouble. And what about Black? What if he's using one of the passages to sneak into the school?"

"He can't be," Harry objected. "Fred and George told me there are seven passages leading into the school. Filch knows about four of them, and one of them is caved in. One has the Whomping Willow growing over it, so there's no way anyone could get out of it. And the one I just came out of… well, unless you know where it is, it's near impossible to see."

Seto still did not look convinced. Ron, however, pointed out a post up on the inside of the sweetshop door.

-BY ORDER OF-  
**THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC **

_Customers are reminded that until further notice,  
dementors will be patrolling the streets of  
Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure  
has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade  
residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of  
Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you  
complete your shopping well before nightfall.  
__Merry Christmas! _

"I'd like to see Black break in with dementors swarming the streets," Ron said rather importantly.

Seto looked like he was trying to find another excuse to argue. "Harry, you still shouldn't be here," he decided on. "You haven't got a permission form. You'll be in serious trouble if you get caught; possibly even expelled. And what if Black were to turn up right now?"

"He'd be a complete idiot," Yami Seto replied dryly. "Why would a wanted criminal show up in broad daylight? That's asking to get arrested."

"Seto, it's Christmas," Yami Yugi added. "Give the boy a break."

Seto scrunched his face up, not liking this. Harry folded his hands behind his head, a smile on his face.

"Are you going to report me?" he asked innocently.

Seto crossed his arms. "Of course not, but –"

"Seen the Fizzing Whizbees, Harry?" Ron interrupted, grabbing him and leading him away, much to Seto's frustration. "And the Jelly Slugs? And the Acid Pops? Fred gave me one of those when I was seven. Burnt a hole right through my tongue." He gazed at the shelf of Acid Pops with dislike. "Reckon Fred would take a bit of a Cockroach Cluster if I told him they were peanuts?"

"Nah," Yami Yugi cut in. "He's already tried that trick on Draco." He winced at the memory. "I thought he was going to kill him after he finished spitting it out." He paused a moment, thinking. "Hey, Harry, since you're here, maybe you could help me with something…"

-.oOOo.-

Yugi licked his lips, feeling the warmth from his butterbeer run through him as he swallowed. He glanced over at a bag full of packages next to him, silently hoping that Panseru would like the gift he had gotten for him. True, he had tried to take Yami Bakura, Bakura, and Draco's advice, but… well, he was kind of sorry that he asked for it. They ended up pointing out things to him that just did not suit his other half at all. In the end, he had ended up ditching the three of them to go shopping on his own.

Just then, he caught sight of Yami Yugi entering the tavern from his table in the back. Standing up, Yugi waved to him as Seto and Yami Seto filed in, followed by…

"Harry!" Yugi exclaimed quietly, as the four of them approached. "What are you doing here?"

"Long story," Harry said, sitting down opposite of him as Yami Yugi plopped down next to his hikari. The spirit looked around him to see the large bag, and he poked at it with his hand.

"What's in here?" he asked, curious. Yugi slapped his hand lightly before snapping the bag shut. Yami Yugi looked at him, eyebrow raised in amusement. "What was that for?"

"No touchy," Yugi replied, looking up at him with his cute, large eyes as a curvy sort of woman with a pretty face passed by them. Yami Seto blushed bright red, his eyes following the woman.

"Uh… c'mon, hikari," he said, tugging at Seto's sleeve. "Let's go order the drinks."

Seto rolled his eyes before following his other self, who was in turn following the woman. Harry looked to Yugi and Yami Yugi, confused.

"What was _that_ about?" he asked.

Yami Yugi sighed dramatically, leaning back in his seat and putting an arm around Yugi, who blushed.

"That was Madam Rosmerta," the spirit explained. "She was flirting with Yami Seto the last time we were here. I've never seen him blush so often."

Seto and Yami Seto returned soon after, holding a tray filled with five tankards of butterbeer between them. The former set the tray down while the spirit of the high priest jumped over Harry to sit on the other side of him. He took up his tankard, a huge grin on his face.

"Merry Christmas!"

The five of them clicked their tankards together, before drinking deeply from them. Harry chuckled as Yami Yugi sighed contentedly.

"I didn't think spirits could eat or drink," he said.

Yami Seto sighed. "We can't," he said, reaching through himself and pulling a towel out from under him, wringing it out a little. "At least if it passes through my mouth, I can get a memory of the taste from my hikari."

Yami Yugi fingered his tankard, suddenly nervous. _"You_ can't," he said. "I can… or at least I've been able to… recently. Just little things though; a piece of candy here, a drink there. Don't ask me where it goes. But, it's just like you said, Seto. Any taste is a memory… just like any touch."

Yugi looked up at him with sad eyes. Before anyone could say anything, the door to the tavern opened once more, and Harry nearly choked. In walked Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, shortly followed by Hagrid and then a man in a lime-green bowler hat – Cornelius Fudge. In the next instant, Seto and Yami Seto put their hands on Harry's head and forced him under the table.

Yugi quickly took out his wand and whispered, "Mobiliarbus!"

A Christmas tree near them rose a few inches off the ground, drifting sideways, and settled down again with a dull thud in front of their table. The five of them listened in – four in their seats, one under the table – as the teachers and the Minister of Magic started conversing back and forth. Madam Rosmerta joined them, and at first they were just having small talk, and Harry was wondering when the heck they were going to leave. Suddenly, Professor McGonagall said something that caught everyone's attention.

"You say you remember Black at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," she murmured. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," Rosmerta replied with a small laugh. "Never saw one with out the other, did you? Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter."

Harry dropped his tankard, only to get kicked by Yami Seto. His _father_ had been a friend to Sirius Black?

"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers," Professor Flitwick chimed in. "Inseparable!"

"Of course they were," Fudge said. "Potter trusted Black more than anyone else. He was best man at James and Lily's wedding, and they named him godfather to Harry. 'Course, Harry doesn't know. It would probably torment him."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" Rosmerta asked.

"Not just that," Fudge said, dropping his voice down to a whisper. "Not many people know that the Potters knew that You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore had several spies working for him; one of them tipped him off, and he altered Lily and James at once, insisting that they go into hiding. A Fidelius Charm was performed; it was their best bet."

"How does that work?" Rosmerta asked.

"It's an immensely complex spell," Flitwick explained, "where the magical concealment of a secret is hidden in a single, living soul; a Secret-Keeper."

"And Potter insisted on using Black as his Secret-Keeper," Rosmerta concluded.

"He did," Fudge said heavily, "and then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed…"

The Minister of Magic trailed off. There was a long honking sound; Hagrid had blown his nose.

"And then, Peter Pettigrew confronted Black the next day," McGonagall continued. "Pettigrew was a lot like Neville Longbottom is now; never quiet as adept as the others. He was also a friend of the Potters, and…" Her voice suddenly sounded thick. "He did not stand a chance against Black. After the smoke cleared, all that was left of him was a finger…"

She trailed off, before she too blew her nose.

"Well, anyway, Cornelius, if you're dining with the headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle," she finished.

One by one, the professors and the Minister of Magic left, and Madam Rosmerta returned to her duties.

"Harry?"

Seto, Yami Seto, Yugi and Yami Yugi poked their heads under the table, at a loss for words.

-.oOOo.-

Harry did not know how he managed to get back into the secret entrance he had used to get to the cellar of Honeydukes. Somehow, he made his way through the school and back up to the common room, where he sat and waited for his friends to arrive. When Ron, Draco, Hermione, Marik, and Yugi finally did emerge from the portrait hole, they went over to him immediately.

"Harry," Ron began. "Yugi told us what happened at the Three Broomsticks."

"Really, Harry," Hermione began, concern evident in her voice. "Please, _please_ don't do anything stupid."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like trying to go after Black by yourself," Ron replied sharply. "It's not worth it."

"Is it really?" Harry asked, his voice cold. "You don't hear your mum screaming for Voldemort to show mercy every time you get too close to a dementor."

Ron gulped, having nothing to say to that. Harry stood up from his seat, turning his focus to Draco, who was looking down at his feet.

"You knew, didn't you?" he accused.

Draco sighed heavily, before looking up at him. "I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged helplessly. "How could I, Harry?" he asked. "How could I just come out of the blue and say, 'By the way, now that we're friends, let me tell you why your parents died'?"

Harry was silent, his face an emotionless mask.

"Look, you know what Pettigrew's mother got back?" Draco continued. "The Order of Merlin, First Class and Pettigrew's finger in a box. It was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black betrayed your parents, Harry, and he would not hesitate to kill you, especially if you wandered willingly into his grasp. Honestly, I don't think they would be able to find even a toenail of you left after he was through with you."


	10. A Very Merry Christmas

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

"Suteki da ne?" is sung by Rikki; my no own. Note to Hagrid excerpted.

**CHAPTER TEN – A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS**

Marik was sitting by himself in the Gryffindor common room that morning a few days before the Christmas holiday, catching up on his Ancient Egyptian Magic homework. Normally he would still be sleeping on a day off at eight o' clock in the morning, but he had too many things on his mind at the moment. Most of those thoughts were centered on what day it was.

December twenty-second, exactly a day before his birthday.

He leaned back in his chair, letting out a sigh of frustration. Soon he would be eighteen years old, and he had not even gotten a kiss out of Hermione yet. It was kind of pathetic; eighteen and _still_ he had not been kissed by a girl.

Marik shot out of his chair, suddenly, pounding a fist in his open palm.

"That's it!" he declared to no one in particular. "I'm going to get Hermione to kiss me before midnight!"

Just then, a yawn came from the top of the stairs, and Marik looked up to see Yugi shambling down the steps, still half asleep.

"Mornin', Marik-kun," he muttered, as Marik plopped back down into his chair.

"Mornin', Yugi-kun," he replied, returning to his homework as Yugi shuffled toward the showers. A few moments later, there was another yawn from the top of the stairs, and Marik did not look up as another shuffling of footsteps came down.

"Mornin', Marik-kun."

"Mornin', Yugi-kun."

Marik frowned; wait a minute… He looked up in time to see a slightly taller version of Yugi enter the shower room. There was a shout of surprise, followed by a long silence. Then there was a brief giggling before the sound of rushing water came from the room. Marik just sweatdropped.

"I don't even want to know…" he muttered as Seto came down the stairs, a towel and change of clothes draped over his shoulder. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you," Marik warned. "Ra only knows what you'll be walking in on."

Seto frowned at the door to the showers before plopping down on a chair. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes, before squinting at what he was working on. Grimacing, he looked up at Marik.

"Why are you working on homework at eight in the morning?" he asked.

"You and Hermi-chan are a bad influence on me."

They were silent for a moment, before Seto asked, "So… have you kissed her yet?"

Marik almost blotched his ink. It was not the fact that he had just been thinking about that earlier, though it was a bit creepy, but the fact that _Seto Kaiba _was asking him… Well, it was just weird on so many levels; he could not even begin to describe it.

"I think your yami is a bad influence on _you,"_ he declared.

Seto frowned as Ron came pounding down the stairs. The younger wizard ran into the showers before either of them could warn him. There was a girlish scream before he came running back out, slamming the door behind him, and leaning against it with his eyes wide in surprise.

"I think I'm scared for life now," he muttered, before whirling on the closed door. "Can't you two use a _closet_ to do that!"

Marik and Seto sweatdropped; that was more information than they needed.

-.oOOo.-

Later that day found Draco curled up in a armchair at the library, his transfiguration book opened up on his lap and his homework spread out on the table before him. In a way, he was glad he had woken up so late that morning. After he heard about the fight over the shower earlier, he did not know if he could look at Ron with a straight face ever again

Locating the chapter he needed for his homework, he set the book down and unfurled himself from the chair. Sitting properly now, he took up his quill and started to work when a sudden strange feeling came over him, like he was being watched. He looked up, spinning around in his chair as he tried to find the source of the strange feeling. There was a flash of brown eyes from behind a bookcase, and Draco sighed in frustration before getting up and going around to the other side of the case. If it was that Shadi guy again, he was going to go straight to Dumbledore and complain.

On the other side of the case, he did not find Shadi, but he did find a strange golden scale resting on the table there. The weighing device was accented with obsidian, and there was an eye at the top of the shaft, just before the crossbar that held the two perfectly balanced golden baskets. Draco gulped at the sight of it; that was the same design that was on Yugi's Puzzle and the other Millennium Items.

It was then that he felt a warmth against his chest. Looking down, he saw that the feather on the chain around his neck was glowing slightly. Freaked out, Draco slipped the feather under his sweater before going back to his table, gathering his homework, and rushing out of the library.

On the table the scale was resting on, there was a brief passing of a shadow, before the object disappeared…

-.oOOo.-

Before dinner that evening, Harry, Bakura, Hermione, and Marik went down to Hagrid's hut for a visit. They knocked and waited, but when they did not get an answer, they were a bit concerned. The giant of a man had promised them that he would be home all day that day. Bakura knocked again, before pressing his ear against the door.

"It sounds like something's whining…?" he announced, confused.

Harry pounded on the door. "Hagrid! It's us! Open up!"

There was the clomping of footsteps, and the door opened to reveal Hagrid, his face and beard stained with tears.

"Yeh've heard!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms onto Harry and Bakura's necks. It would have been funny if Hagrid was not twice the size of a normal man. The two of them struggled under the weight, before Bakura's eyes suddenly narrowed.

"You bloody idiot!" Yami Bakura snarled. "Get off of me or I'll –"

Fortunately, Hermione and Marik managed to grab Hagrid under each arm and steer him back into the hut before the tomb robber could finish his threat. The giant allowed himself to be led down into a chair and slumped over his table, sobbing uncontrollably.

"What's wrong, Hagrid?" Harry asked.

Hagrid was too upset to answer, but Yami Bakura spotted an official looking letter on the table. He picked it up, looking it over.

"Is this the problem?" he asked. Hagrid wailed louder. "I take that as a yes," the tomb robber replied sourly, before reading the note aloud.

_Dear Mr. Hagrid, _

_Further to our inquiry into the attack by a  
hippogriff on a student in your class, we  
have accepted the assurances of Professor  
Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility  
for the regrettable incident. _

_However, we must register our concern  
about the hippogriff in question. We have  
decided to uphold the official complaint of  
Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will  
therefore be taken to the Committee for the  
Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing  
will take place on April 20th, and we ask you  
to present yourself and your hippogriff at the  
Committee's offices in London on that date.  
In the meantime, the hippogriff should be  
kept tethered and isolated. _

_Yours in fellowship… _

After that was a list of the school governors, but none of them got a chance to see any of the names. Yami Bakura crumpled the note in his hands, twisting it as if he were twisting someone's head off until the parchment finally ripped in half. The look on his face was so absolutely terrifying that even Marik backed away from him.

"Damn that Malfoy and that wench Ecillia," he snarled darkly. "They're doing all of this on purpose."

The three students stared at the tomb robber, afraid he was going to try and kill someone or something.

"Um… I think what the tomb robber is trying to say is…" Marik began, "is we'll try and help you prove Buckbeak's innocence."

"Yeah!" Harry added, noticing Yami Bakura calm down a bit. "It's the least we can do. After all, Buckbeak is really a nice hippogriff."

"Don't worry so much, Hagrid," Hermione encouraged warmly.

Hagrid snorted loudly before blowing his nose. "Thank yeh…"

There was a sudden loud crunch, and the four students whirled around to see the hippogriff in question lying in a corner, munching on something that was squirting blood all over the floor. They sweatdropped, wondering what in the world they were getting into.

After they were sure that Hagrid was feeling at least a little better, the four of them left the hut, with Yami Bakura fuming a bit before switching places with his hikari. Bakura and Harry started talking about how they were going to help Hagrid and Buckbeak, leaving Marik and Hermione more or less to themselves. The Egyptian rubbed the back of his neck; now was as good a time as any.

"Uh… Hermi-chan?" he asked. "Could you… uh… could you meet me at the Astronomy Tower? Before midnight?"

She frowned at him. "Whatever for?"

Marik blushed slightly. "Um… no reason, just… please?"

Hermione blinked, confused. "Sure… I suppose."

"Great!" Marik exclaimed, a little too enthusiastically, before running off to the castle, nearly bowling over Harry and Bakura in the process. The two of them looked back at Hermione, confused.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged helplessly. "Sometimes I think I'll never understand him…"

-.oOOo.-

Marik paced the length of the Astronomy Tower, constantly checking his watch. Eleven forty; was she going to show up at all, or had she gotten caught? He started pacing at eleven forty-five, and by eleven fifty, he had taken out his deck and shuffled it out of nerves. Hermione finally showed at eleven fifty-five, gasping slightly for breath.

"I almost got caught by Mrs. Norris," she breathed, going over to him. "Why did you want me to come up here anyway?"

Marik rubbed the back of his neck, nervous. "Well, in five minutes it'll be December twenty-third – you know, my birthday – and I'll be eighteen, and well… uh…"

Oh, no; perfect time for his nerves to fail him.

"Your concerned about what Yami Bakura said on the train?" she asked. "That whole bit about you being a cradle robber?"

Eleven fifty-six…

"Well, yeah," Marik admitted. "I mean, Yugi and Yami Yugi get a lot of looks when they walk down the halls together. I can only imagine the kind of looks a seventeen and a thirteen year old walking down the halls together get."

Hermione shrugged. "Since when did that ever matter?"

"Well, it never did, but the point is I'm going to be a legal adult in a few minutes, and you're still a kid… er… young woman," he amended. "People tend to frown down on that more."

Eleven fifty-seven…

"So… what?" she asked. "Are you saying that we should stop being together?"

"No!" Marik exclaimed, a little two quickly. "No, far from that." He took a deep breath; this definitely was not his forte. "I'm just saying that until you're eighteen too, people might take certain gestures the wrong way."

Hermione raised an eyebrow slightly, as if she just realized what he was getting at. "Oh?" she asked, letting him come out with the right words. "Like what?"

Eleven fifty-eight…

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Marik could literally hear his heart pounding in his chest; it was thumping so hard, he was afraid he was going to have a heart attack or something.

"W-well… y-you know," he began, trying hard not to stutter. "Simple things; holding hands in the hall, a friendly hug… a kiss…"

Marik suddenly found himself staring into her deep brown eyes, unable to look away as she approached him slowly. She smiled gently, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"A kiss doesn't sound so bad," she whispered softly.

Eleven fifty-nine came with the two of them in each other's arms, wrapped in the warmth of one another as they shared a long kiss under the soft glow of the stars. The wind blew slightly, sending shivers of cold down their spines, but they ignored it. They were too busy with one another to notice much of anything.

Midnight came, and Marik forced himself to part from Hermione, his reluctance evident on his face. She smiled up at him warmly, before settling on falling into a hug. He held onto her, closing his eyes and playing back the kiss in his mind.

That had to have been the best first kiss in history.

-.oOOo.-

Christmas morning finally came, and Harry woke up earlier than he had wanted to. He yawned lazily, stretching out in bed, hearing every bone in his body pop satisfyingly. His feet kicked something as he stretched, and he sat up, reaching over and putting his glasses on as he did so. At the foot of his bed was a thin, non-descript parcel. There were no markings on the wrapping that he could see, but further inspection was prevented when a pillow hit him upside the head, almost knocking his glasses off.

"Morning, Harry!" Yugi exclaimed playfully, jumping onto the bed behind him, making it creak in protest. There was a yawn, and Marik appeared from behind the curtains of his four-poster bed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I swear, Yugi-kun, you're only this hyper in the morning when you're getting something," he complained.

"Yup!" Yugi exclaimed as the others crawled out from their beds. Draco squinted at the package on Harry's bed as he approached.

"What's that, Harry?" he asked around a yawn. Harry was about to answer, when something fell out from behind the curtains of Yugi's bed. Everyone turned and sweatdropped as a bleary-eyed Yami Yugi sat up from where he had fallen.

"Since when is that bed so small?" he muttered tiredly, not really noticing the looks he was getting. Just then, Yami Bakura appeared next to his hikari, before sitting down on the bed next to Yugi, elbowing him slyly.

"Oy, Yugi," he whispered. "Pharaoh gave you his present early, hunh?"

All that got him was a mouthful of pillow, courtesy of both Yugi and Bakura. He glared at the two of them, straightening out his mussed up hair.

"So what is this already?" Ron asked, poking at the package.

"I don't know," Harry replied, taking the parcel and ripping off the wrapping to reveal an unmarked white box underneath. He opened that… and a collective gasp when about the room.

"Is that…?" Seto began.

"By Ra…" Marik muttered.

"I don't believe it…" Ron said hoarsely.

"A _Firebolt…"_ Draco breathed, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was not seeing things.

The broom was very real, however, identical to the dream broom Harry, Marik, and Draco had drooled over in Diagon Alley ages ago. The handle glittered as Harry picked it up. He could feel it vibrate slightly, and he let go, leaving the broom to hover at the exact height for him to mount. Shaking in disbelief, he ran a hand down from the golden registration number at the handle all the way down to the streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.

"It's beautiful…" Harry murmured under his breath.

"Who sent it?" Yami Yugi asked in a hushed voice.

"Check and see if there's a card," Yugi suggested, too preoccupied with staring at the broom. His other half tore apart the wrapping the broom had come in.

"Nothing!" he exclaimed, before staring at Harry, bewildered. "Who would spend that much on you?"

Everyone turned to Seto.

"Don't look at me!" he exclaimed.

"Well," Harry began, a bit stunned, "it definitely wasn't the Dursleys."

"Maybe Dumbledore?" Bakura suggested. "He gave you that invisibility cloak."

"Yes, but that had been my father's," Harry objected. "Besides, he wouldn't spend _this_ much on a student. He can't go around spending hundreds of Galleons like that."

"Well, maybe that was why he didn't want to say it was from him," Draco observed, "in case some git like Ecillia said it was favoritism." His face lit up at that. "Oy, Harry! Ecillia! She'll turn positively _green _when she sees you on this!"

Yami Bakura snickered at that thought as Ron started laughing his head off.

"What're you boys laughing about?"

Hermione walked in, wearing her nightclothes and carrying a rather disgruntled looking Crookshanks.

"Don't bring that cat in here!" Ron exclaimed, diving toward his bed for Scabbers and shoving the rat into his pocket. Hermione did not listen to him, however, and dropped Crookshanks off on the bed Seto had been sleeping in (what was normally Seamus's bed). She stared open-mouthed at the Firebolt, still hovering before Harry.

"Who sent you _that?" _she asked, hardly believing it.

"No idea," Harry replied.

Hermione's face fell. "And you're not worried?"

"Why should we be?" Ron asked. "Hey, Harry, could I have a go on it? Please?"

"Me too!" Marik exclaimed.

"Me three!" Draco put in.

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" Hermione exclaimed shrilly. The boys just stared at her.

"What do you propose he do with it? Sweep the floor?" Yami Yugi asked.

Before she could answer, Crookshanks leapt from Seto's bed, heading straight for Ron's chest.

"_GET – HIM – OUT – OF – HERE!"_ Ron bellowed, holding his hand protectively over Scabbers as the cat's claws ripped his pajamas. Hermione and Marik grabbed Crookshanks before he could take another swing, carrying the feline out of the room with him still glaring at Ron over their shoulders.

Ron took Scabbers out of his pocket once he was sure they left, and stroked the rat's head, calming it down. It had been awhile since any of them had seen the rat outside of his pocket, and they were all surprised to see the once fat animal was deathly skinny, and was loosing patches of fur.

"He doesn't look so good, does he?" Seto asked.

"It's stress!" Ron exclaimed. "That damned cat is going to be the death of him!"

Everyone went downstairs to unwrap their presents under the common room Christmas tree. Spirits were running thin at that point, however, as Hermione was annoyed by the way Ron spoke of Crookshanks, and Ron was annoyed by the fresh attempt on Scabbers' life. It was not until noon when everyone went down to the Great Hall, except for Yugi and Yami Yugi, who hung back in the common room a moment. They looked at each other nervously for a moment, before blurting out a the same time:

"I got something for you."

They chuckled, and Yami Yugi motioned to his hikari. "You first."

Yugi nodded, before taking his other half's hand and leading him back upstairs. Once in the third year dorms, he went over to his bed and reached under to a loose floorboard, lifting it up to reveal a small package. Taking it in hand, he waited a moment for his heart to stop hammering in his chest before handing it to Yami Yugi.

The pharaoh smiled at him encouragingly, before tearing off the wrapping to reveal a small jewelry box. He raised an eyebrow – he had not been expecting that – before opening it. Inside was a small golden locket, oval in shape, with an embossed heart in the center fanned by an angel wing on one side and a devil wing on the other. He opened it up, and smiled at the picture inside. It was of him and his hikari, one that he remembered Jonouchi taking some time after the recent Battle City. The two of them had an arm around each other's shoulders, winking and holding up their other hands in a peace sign. On the other side of the photo was some kind of strange sparkle, trapped behind a thin layer of glass, and it seemed to be singing something. Frowning slightly, he put the locket up to his ear, trying to hear the song.

Kaze ga yoset kotoba ni  
Oyoida kokoro  
Kumo ga hakobu ashita ni  
Hazunda koe

Tsuki ga yureru kagami ni  
Furueta kokoro  
Hoshi ga nagare, koboreta  
Yawarakai namida

Suteki da ne  
Futari te o tori aruketa nara  
Ikitai yo  
Kimi no machi, ie, ude no naka

Sono mune  
Karada azuke  
Yoi ni magire  
Yume miru

Kaze wa tomari; kotoba wa  
Yasashii maboroshi  
Kumo wa yabure; ashita wa  
Tooku no koe

Tsuki ga nijmu kagami o  
Nagareta kokoro  
Hoshi ga yurete, koboreta  
Kakusenai namida

Suteki da ne  
Futari te o tori aruketa nara  
Ikitai yo  
Kimi no machi, ie, ude no naka

Sono kao  
Sotto furete  
Asa ni tokeru  
Yume miru

Yami Yugi smiled broadly as the song ended, truly touched. "Hikari, this is beautiful," he declared. Yugi's whole face lit up, relieved that he liked his present so much. The spirit of the pharaoh smirked, closing the locket and fastening the charm around his neck. "I only wish I had been as creative," he added sheepishly, going over to Seto's clothing trunk, lifted it open, and pulled out a purple and gold baggy.

Yami Yugi handed him the baggy and held his breath slightly, hoping he would like it. Yugi reached into the bag, pulling out tissue paper and other glittery things until his hand wrapped around something soft. He pulled it out, revealing two plushies of himself and Yami Yugi, attached together at the hands by a piece of Velcro. The two little dolls were dressed in what the two of them normal wore, with the exception of the shirts. The Yami Yugi plushie wore a shirt that said "Property of Hikari", while the Yugi plushie wore a shirt that said "Property of Yami". The real Yugi giggled, hugging the two plushies.

"These are so cute!" he exclaimed, before practically jumping on his other half, hugging him fiercely. Yami Yugi chuckled, hugging his hikari back.

"I'm _so_ glad you like it, koibito," Yami Yugi said warmly. Yugi blushed bright red, not used to being called someone's "sweetheart".

"Panseru-kun…!" he exclaimed, his face almost the same color as the tips of his hair. Yami Yugi chuckled, ruffling his hair, only to have it spring back into place.

"C'mon, lets go down to that feast."

They went down and out of the common room, making their way to the Great Hall. The large house tables were set up against the walls, and only one small table was set up perpendicular to those tables. The professors and their friends were already seated, with the addition of two nervous first years and a sullen face Slytherin fifth year. Dumbledore, for some strange reason, was wearing a hat topped with a stuffed vulture; Snape was glaring at the absurd hat. The two of them sat between Marik and Ron upon the headmaster's prompting, and joined in on the feast. Yugi looked up and down the table, concerned.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" he asked. "And Professor Trelawney?"

Professor McGonagall visibly fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Professor Trelawney hardly ever comes down to dine at any time," she answered. "As for Professor Lupin, he is unfortunately not feeling well."

"Such a pity, too," Dumbledore added, reaching for a drumstick. "To be sick during Christmas."

Yugi and Yami Yugi exchanged concerned looks, not sure what that was supposed to mean. The meal continued on normally for two hours. Full to the point of bursting, Ron and Harry got up first, patting their stomachs in satisfaction. They asked if Hermione wanted to come back up with them, but she said no, her excuse being that she needed to speak to Professor McGonagall.

"Probably wants to see if she can take more classes," Ron concluded as Seto, Marik, Bakura, Draco, Yugi, and Yami Yugi joined them.

The eight boys made their way back up to the Gryffindor common room, reaching the portrait hole, only to see Sir Cadogan having a Christmas party with a couple monks, several former headmasters of Hogwarts, and his fat pony. The goofy knight lifted his visor, saluting them with a flagon of mead.

"Merry – hic – Christmas! Password?"

"Scurvy cur," Ron replied dully.

"And the same to you, sir!" roared Sir Cadogan as the painting swung open.

"I can't wait till the Fat Lady comes back," Draco said as they entered. "This guy's a total loon."

Harry immediately went up to the dorm rooms, bringing back down his new Firebolt. Yami Bakura and Yami Seto came out, and the ten of them pined over the fine broom until the portrait hole opened up again, admitting Hermione and Professor McGonagall. They watched as Hermione went to hide in a corner of the room, picking up the nearest book and hiding her face behind it. Professor McGonagall, in the meantime, went over to the boys.

"So, that's it, is it?" the professor asked beadily. "May I?"

She did not wait for any of them to reply, taking the broom from Harry's hands. She examined it from handle to twig tail.

"Hmmm…" she mused. "And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"

"No," Harry replied blankly.

"I see…" she responded. "Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take this to be checked for jinxes."

Marik looked aghast. "But, why? There's nothing wrong with it!"

"You don't know that for sure, Ishitar, unless you ride it, and that won't happen until Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick strip it down," McGonagall replied sharply.

"Strip it down!" Ron and Draco squeaked, horrified.

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," the professor continued, ignoring their expressions. "I shall keep you informed."

With that said, she turned on her heel and left, taking the broom with her. Harry just stared as she left through the portrait hole, trying to figure out what just happened. Ron, in the meantime, whirled on Hermione.

"_What did you go running to McGonagall for!" _

Marik was about to scold him for talking to his girlfriend that way, but Hermione beat him to it. She stood up, red-faced, tossing her book aside as she faced Ron defiantly.

"Because I thought – and Professor McGonagall agrees with me – that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"

**Song translation:**

My heart was swimming  
In words gathered by the wind  
My voice bounded  
Into the cloud-carried tomorrow

My heart trembled  
In the moon-swayed mirror  
Soft tears  
Spilled with a stream of stars

Isn't it beautiful  
If we could walk, hand in hand  
I'd want to go  
To your town, your home, in your arms

In dream of being  
Against your chest  
My body in your keeping  
Disappearing into the evening

Words halted by wind are  
A gentle illusion  
A tomorrow torn by clouds is  
The voice of a distant place

My heart that had been  
In a moon-blurred mirror that flowed  
Those stars that trembled and spilled  
Cannot hide my tears

Isn't it beautiful  
If we could walk, hand in hand  
I'd want to go  
To your town, your home, in your arms

My dream of  
Your face  
That I softly touch  
Melts in the morning


	11. AntiDementor Classes

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER ELEVEN – ANTI-DEMENTOR CLASSES**

Yugi woke up early a few days after Christmas to the sound of someone rushing about the room as quietly as they could. Concerned, he squeezed out from under Yami Yugi's arm and peaked through the bed curtains. Seto was the one flitting about, going from his clothing trunk to his suitcase, packing up his clothes and books and various other supplies. He swung out of bed at the sight of this, walking over to the taller boy and making enough noise so as not to startle him as he approached.

"Seto-kun, what's wrong?" he asked.

Seto looked down at him with an odd look that Yugi had never seen on his face. It was a look of concern laced with worry and fear; emotions the CEO of Kaiba Corporation never showed. He waved over to his bed, where his laptop computer was opened up, showing off a display of an e-mail program.

"She was right, Yugi-kun," he replied. "Mokuba's sick. The doctor's just e-mailed me."

Yugi gasped… before he frowned. "How can you get online? The barrier around the school…"

Seto waved a dismissive hand. "I rigged it so it would send a laser-fine radio beam through the barrier to the Kaiba Corporation satellite system, which in turn would be relayed to Kaiba Corporation Headquarters' main computer and Internet service."

"Right…" Yugi replied, having no idea what he just said. "Anyway, what happened to Mokuba-kun? Did they say what's wrong with him?"

Seto stopped his packing, swallowing painfully. "It's cancer…" he choked out. "Something in his… his brain. They didn't go into details." He swiped furiously at his eyes before continuing his packing. "I gave them the go ahead to operate. If I hurry, I'll be back in Japan by the time they finish."

"How are you getting there?" Yugi asked, as he started to fight to get his suitcase closed.

"I've already talked to Dumbledore," he answered, managing to press the top of the case closed enough so he could zip it up. "He's going to escort me to the airport personally through a Portkey and make sure I get on my plane all right."

He hauled the suitcase over his shoulder and was about to lug it out of the room, when Yugi noticed he forgot something.

"Seto-kun, your laptop," he said, snapping it closed and holding it out for Seto to take.

He frowned, before setting his case down and taking the computer. He opened it up and typed in some commands before handing it back to Yugi. In place of the e-mail program that had been there, was a log in screen of sorts that had his name in one box and a row of stars in the other.

"I created your own account on there," Seto explained, hauling up his suitcase again. "The password's 'Black Magician', no capitals or spaces. I'll keep you informed of how my otouto is doing, and you keep me informed of what's going on here."

With that said, he turned to leave…

"Seto-kun!"

Seto turned back to him, who was looking up at him with his wide-eyes. A silent, understanding moment passed between the two of them before he smiled gently, mussing up Yugi's hair, only to have it spring back into place.

"Thanks, Yugi-kun," he said. "If we're able, Mokuba and I will see you when you come back to King's Cross."

Seto shifted the suitcase over his shoulder, before heading out of the third year dormitory, down the steps, and out of the common room for the rest of that year.

-.oOOo.-

The others were upset about Mokuba's condition and Seto leaving, but with classes starting up again on January second, they did not get a chance to dwell on it. No one was thrilled about having to go out on the grounds in the raw of winter, but Hagrid treated them with a bonfire of salamanders. Divination was not nearly as enjoyable, as Seto's absence was sorely felt. Not only that, but they had progressed on to palmistry, and Professor Trelawney did not hesitate to tell Harry he had the shortest lifeline she had ever seen.

Ancient Egyptian Magic was a certifiable nightmare; they had moved on to Egyptian potions, and it was clearly obvious that this was different from the Potions they were used to. The first day, Marik and Hermione paired up together, but despite his girlfriend's intelligence, the potion they were working on ended up backfiring in his face anyway.

"Marik, are you all right!" she exclaimed, horrified.

Marik coughed, dazed. "Just dandy…"

Harry was elated about Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the promise that him and Yami Bakura would be starting anti-dementor lessons. The two of them approached Professor Lupin about it one day before dinner, hoping they could get started as soon as possible.

"Ah, yes," Lupin said when they reminded him. "Eight o' clock on Thursday evenings in the History of Magic classroom sound good to you?"

They agreed, and Lupin went off to join the other professors at their table. Yami Bakura raised an eyebrow.

"Is it me, or does he still look sick to you?"

-.oOOo.-

Thursday came faster than any of them anticipated, and soon Harry was joining up with the tomb robber outside of the History of Magic classroom. It was dark and empty when they entered the class, but a quick wave of Harry's wand fixed that as they sat and waited for the professor. They did not have long to wait, as Lupin appeared after a few minutes, hauling with him a briefcase containing a boggart.

"So…" he began, taking out his wand. "Now, what I'm going to show you is ridiculously complicated for the level you're at; way beyond Ordinary Wizarding Levels. It's called the Patronus Charm. When it works, it conjures up a sort of… anti-dementor, a Patronus. It's a guardian, consisting of positive thoughts, which a dementor cannot feed off of."

"So what's this 'Patronus' supposed to look like?" Yami Bakura asked, casually draped over a chair and desk. They had already determined that Harry was to go first, so he was in no hurry to even look like he wanted to get up.

"It is dependant on the wizard who casts it."

"And how do you do that?" Harry asked.

"With an incantation," Lupin explained. "Which will only work when said while focusing on a strong, happy memory."

_Do you even _have_ any happy memories?_ Bakura whispered in the back of his other half's mind.

_Quiet, you,_ Yami Bakura replied delicately. Truth was, though, he was a little worried; there was not much he could remember that had been happy. At least, not before… He shook it off before he could dwell on it for too long.

Lupin taught them the incantation – Expecto Patronum – and set Harry off to practice. The first time, he fainted almost immediately. Lupin put the boggart away and roused the young wizard, giving him a piece of chocolate before they started again. That time Harry lasted a little longer, but he still ended up hitting the floor. It took both the professor and the tomb robber to get him up and going that time.

"I… I heard my dad," he mumbled, accepting their help to sit up. "That's the first time I've ever heard him… he tried to take on Voldemort himself, before…"

Harry swiped at his eyes furiously, not meeting either of their gazes.

"You heard James?" Lupin asked in a strange voice.

"Yeah…" Harry choked, before he realized something. "Wait; you knew my father?"

"I… I did, yes," the professor admitted. "We were friends when we were students. Listen, Harry, maybe we should stop this. This is ludicrously advanced; I shouldn't have offered –"

"No!" Harry exclaimed, getting back to his feet. "I'll have one more go! I'm just not thinking of something happy enough."

Lupin gave him a moment, during which time Yami Bakura retreated back to the chair he had been sitting at. After a long moment, Harry nodded, and the boggart-dementor sprang out of the briefcase again. The young wizard was shouting the incantation at the top of his lungs, and to the spectators' surprise, a shadowy sort of silver glob shot out of the end of his wand. It hovered there between him and the dementor, before Lupin shouted "Riddikulus!" and shoved the boggart back into the case. Harry collapsed into a seat next to the tomb robber, looking thoroughly exhausted.

"Excellent, Harry," Lupin congratulated. "That was definitely a start."

"Can I have one more go?" he asked.

"No, not for you, not tonight," the professor replied, handing him a large bar of chocolate. "No need to do too much in one go."

"Guess that means it's my turn," Yami Bakura said, a bit reluctant.

Through out the time Harry had been going against the boggart-dementor, the tomb robber had been wracking his brain, trying to find a memory that was at least remotely happy, so he had not really noticed how much the boggart replicated a real dementor's abilities. He hoped that his lack of attention was not going to hurt him, as he went to stand where the young wizard had been when he went up against it. Settling on the memory of when his youngest sister was born, Yami Bakura nodded to Lupin, and braced himself.

The dementor rose out of the briefcase as soon as the professor flipped it open, its gnarled decaying hand reaching out for the tomb robber. He shouted out the incantation with all his might, but he soon felt the cold wave piercing right through him. The classroom and everything in it dissolved into a thick, white fog. Voices of those who had long since died screamed through his consciousness, leaving echoes of unimaginable pain and suffering. Then, there was _the_ voice; a voice so very familiar and yet terrifying at the same time. It was the voice of a man he never thought he would hear again…

_"Bakura! Where is he! Bakura!" _

_"We should leave! The soldiers –" _

_"Woman, I'm not leaving without our son! Bakura!" _

_There was the street again; the dusty streets of Kuru Eruna, only the dust had been replaced with the blood of the people who used to walk on it. There was the old man again, reaching out a pleading hand to him before he was skewered by the spear of the pharaoh's guard. There he was again, barely tall enough to reach the top of a vendor's cart, hiding behind a building and watching in wide-eyed terror as his friends, neighbors, and relatives were slaughtered. There was that steaming vat again, molding together the flesh, blood, and bone of everyone he knew; melding them together, shaping them into seven golden items… _

And then, there was no more.

-.oOOo.-

Yami Bakura awoke drowsily, surprised that he was still in control of his hikari's body and surprised even further that he was staring up at the ceiling of the hospital wing. He sat up with a jolt, something he regretted in the next second, as his whole head started to pound. Groaning, he massaged his temples, when he suddenly found a bar of chocolate in front of his face.

"This'll help," Professor Lupin said. Yami Bakura snatched it greedily.

"You all right, Yami Bakura?" Harry asked from the other side of the bed.

"Do I look all right?" he growled.

"If I say 'no', will you send me to the Shadow Realm?"

Yami Bakura just rolled his eyes, before savagely snapping off a piece of the chocolate with his teeth. He swallowed it, before turning his focus back to Lupin.

"Professor, what's under a dementor's hood?"

Lupin seemed a bit shocked that he would be asking him questions about the creatures after what had happened. He recovered quickly though, coming to the conclusion that this was probably just the way of this half of his student.

"Well, the only people who know are in no condition to tell us," he began. "The only time a dementor lowers its hood is when it is to use its last and worst weapon."

"What's that?" Harry asked, curious. The tomb robber nodded for him to keep going.

"They call it the Dementor's Kiss," he continued, a bit of a twisted smile coming to his face. "It's what they do when they wish to destroy someone utterly. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, for they clamp their jaws on the mouth of the victim and… suck out their soul."

Yami Bakura almost choked on his chocolate.

Harry was horrified. "Th-they kill…?"

"Having your soul taken away doesn't kill you," the tomb robber replied. He knew that all too well.

"Yes, indeed," Lupin confirmed. "You can exist without your soul as long as your body continues to function, but you wont have any sense of self anymore; no memory, no… anything. You just exist, and there's no hope of recovery either. Once your soul is taken by a dementor, it's gone for good."

Harry was just stunned, but Yami Bakura still had questions.

"What about a person with two souls?" he asked. "What happens in that instance?"

Lupin gave him a rather bland look. "I think they would consider that a feast."

The tomb robber frowned, but did not say anything else as he stuffed the last of the chocolate in his mouth. He mentally assigned himself homework: come up with a _very_ happy memory before next Thursday, or do not even bother showing up.

-.oOOo.-

News that Ravenclaw had lost against Slytherin spread through the school like wildfire. Their defeat meant that Gryffindor still had a shot at winning the Quidditch Cup, though it was a very slim shot. That was why Wood was doubling their training schedule, and for Harry, between practice and homework and anti-dementor lessons, he was literally crawling into bed by the end of the day, exhausted beyond words.

Hermione, though, had the worst of it. Every night she was seen in a corner of the common room, surrounded by books, Arithmancy charts, rune dictionaries, diagrams of muggles lifting heavy objects, and folder upon folder of extensive notes in her tidy scrawl. She hardly spoke to anyone, and the only person she did not snap at when they interrupted her was Marik. Him and Yugi were also the only people who would really talk to her at all after the Firebolt incident; the other boys were still peeved at her.

That all changed however, when Harry and Yami Bakura ran into Professor McGonagall after a particularly grueling session with the boggart-dementor. After scolding them for not watching where they were going, she held out the one and only Firebolt, looking just as beautiful as the day Harry opened it.

"Well, here it is," she said. "We've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all. You've got a very good friend out there somewhere, Potter."

The two boys exchanged bewildered looks as the professor left.

"Whoa," the tomb robber said. "Gryffindor is going to rock!"

The two of them parted, with Harry going off to Gryffindor tower holding his new broomstick in numb shock. As he turned the corner, he saw Marik and Draco dashing toward them, both with ear-to-ear grins on their faces.

"She gave it back to you!" Draco exclaimed, excited beyond words.

"Excellent!" Marik stated. "Can we all still have a go on it? You know, after practice tomorrow."

"Sure, anything," Harry replied numbly. He turned to Draco then. "I guess we should apologize to Hermione, hunh?"

"You better," Marik said, giving the both of them looks. "She was only trying to help."

Harry looked at him a bit guiltily. "Where is she?"

Marik sighed. "Where else?"

The three of them rounded into the corridor where the Gryffindor portrait hole stood, only to find Neville Longbottom pleading with Sir Cadogan.

"But I wrote them down!" he exclaimed. "I must've dropped them somewhere!"

"A likely tale!" Cadogan exclaimed, before he noticed Harry, Draco, and Marik. "Good evening, my fine young yeomen! Come to clap this loon in irons?"

"Oh shut up!" Draco snarled at the portrait as they came up to the two of them. Neville looked up at them pathetically.

"I've lost the passwords," he explained miserably. "I had him tell me all the one's he was going to use this week so I could write them down, but now I don't know where they've gone!"

"Oddsbodikins," Marik told the portrait.

Sir Cadogan frowned, disappointed, before swinging open to allow them entrance to the common room. At that moment, everyone there noticed Harry and his Firebolt, and in the next moment everyone was swarming around him, trying to get a chance to touch the legendary broom. For ten minutes, the broom was passed around and observed from every angle before the crowd finally dispersed.

Harry, Draco, and Marik went over to where Hermione was bent over her work as usual.

"I got it back," Harry said, brandishing the broom.

"See, Hermione, not a thing wrong with it!" Draco exclaimed, getting a dirty look from Marik.

"Well, there _might_ have been," she stressed. "At least now you know for sure it's safe."

"Yeah, I suppose –"

Harry never got to finish, as a strangled yell came from the boys' staircase. The whole room fell silent, staring at the entrance to the boys' dorm, as hurried footsteps echoed down the stairs. Ron came leaping into view, dragging a bed sheet with him.

_"Look!"_ he bellowed, going over to Hermione's table. _"Look!"_ he repeated, shoving the sheets in her face.

"Ron, what…?"

_"Scabbers! Look! Scabbers!" _

The four of them stared at the crumpled bed sheet once Ron stopped shaking it furiously. There was something red on it, and it looked awfully like…

_"Blood!"_ Ron yelled in the stunned silence. _"He's gone! And you know what was on the floor!" _

"N…no…" Hermione whimpered.

Ron threw something down on a chart of rune translations. The four of them leaned forward for a better look. On top of the strange, jagged shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.


	12. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER TWELVE – GRYFFINDOR VERSUS RAVENCLAW**

Yugi tossed and turned in his four-poster bed, having difficulty sleeping and knowing that his mere wakefulness was keeping his other half up as well. He could hear Yami Yugi shifting a bit restlessly in his Soul Room, before the pharaoh appeared in the bed next to him. He turned slightly and looked up at the concerned look on his darker half's face.

"Koibito, what's wrong?" Yami Yugi asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Yugi smiled up at him sweetly. "Lots of things, Panseru-kun," he admitted. "I'm worried about Mokuba, and I miss hanging around with Seto. I'm worried about the match tomorrow too."

Yami Yugi frowned slightly. Everyone's nerves where stretched thin lately. Ron and Hermione had more or less stopped looking at each other, and Harry and the others tried to keep the peace between them, but they could only do so much. Marik was sore at Ron as well, for embarrassing his girlfriend in front of the whole common room like he had. Add to that everyone's nervousness over the upcoming match against Ravenclaw, and it was easy to understand why everyone was so pent up with tension.

"Why don't you see if Seto's sent you anything?" he suggested. "Maybe that'll help ease your nerves a bit."

Yugi smiled brightly, before reaching under the bed, where he kept the laptop Seto had let him borrow. Yami Yugi sighed mentally at his hikari's sweet look. Of course, if he had things his way, his hikari would not have been so depressed. He refused to do _that_ though, not unless his hikari asked it of him.

Yugi pulled the laptop onto his lap, flipping it open and logging onto his account. As he waited patiently for the computer to finish loading, he spotted something… odd. It was an icon on the desktop, one he had not seen before. Curious, he waited for the computer to finish loading before he double clicked on the strange icon.

"Aibou…?" Yami Yugi began, curious as to what he was doing.

He smiled at his other half briefly, before turning back to the screen. A window had opened up on the screen, showing something he was not expecting. It was of a bedroom, definitely a boy's room, with toys and other such things littering the floor. There as the sound of happy giggling coming from behind the curtains of the bed, before someone fell out, holding a little puppy and getting a lick bath.

Yugi and Yami Yugi's eyes nearly bugged out of their heads. There was no mistaking that messy mop of aqua colored hair and white suit.

"Noah!" the two of the exclaimed; quietly, so as not to wake anyone else up.

Still giggling, Noah looked up at them, slightly surprised. He nudged the puppy off of him, before standing up and straightening out his suit. His mouth started moving, but no sound was coming out. The digitalized boy frowned, before indicating that Yugi should turn the volume on. Embarrassed, Yugi did so, turning up the volume just enough so that the two of them in the real world could hear.

"Ohayo, Type-A Yugi! Ohayo, Type-B Yugi!" Noah exclaimed pleasantly. "What are you doing with otouto's laptop?"

Yami Yugi snickered at Seto being referred to as someone's little brother. Yugi elbowed him before answering, "Mokuba-kun's sick. Seto-kun went back to Domino City to take care of him. What are _you_ doing on here?"

Noah giggled. "Seto-kun found what little of me remained in the core of Kaiba Corporation's central computer. He downloaded me on here, and reconstructed my personality and my world," he explained, before ducking down into a playful bow. "May I present Noah Version Three Point O!" he introduced playfully, giggling as he came back up again.

Yugi and Yami Yugi could do nothing but stare, blinking in disbelief. "But…" Yugi began, finding his voice first. "Why are you on my account?"

Noah scrunched his face up in thought. "Well, I suppose it's because I'm a universal program on here," he explained. "Otouto did that so it would save room on this laptop. You can only put so much hard drive on these things without it being too heavy."

"But… didn't you want your own body?" Yami Yugi asked.

Noah just smiled brightly. "Maybe someday," he said. "I know that I am still human, and right now, that's enough for me." He looked off to the side suddenly. "Ah! It looks like you've got mail. I'll go now. See you later!"

With that, the window into Noah's work disappeared, having closed itself, just as the little jingle that told him he had mail played. Yugi did not open it right away, he just stared at the screen where Noah had been, the surprise and confusion he felt mixed on his face. After a moment, Yami Yugi blew out a frustrated sigh, flopping back on the bed.

"What is it that Jonouchi-kun says?" he asked. "That was a nine point nine on the 'Weird Shit 'O Meter'?"

Yugi poked him in the leg for swearing, before turning back to the laptop. "I guess that just goes to show how much Seto-kun has changed since coming here."

-.oOOo.-

Harry went down to breakfast the morning of the match with an honor guard for his Firebolt. It was not his idea to do that, of course, but Marik and Draco and the rest of the team insisted. This shameless display was not meant to intimidate the Ravenclaw team – though if it did, that would be wonderful – but to see how the Slytherin team would react. Their reactions to the superior broom were priceless too; they all gazed at the broom, thunderstruck.

Draco let out a laugh of triumph. "Did you see the look on Ecillia's face?" he whispered in Harry's ear. "I told you she'd turn green!"

Indeed, Draco's cousin was glaring at them with a look that combined jealousy and hatred all in one. Harry was not so sure it would be a good idea to get her riled up like that. She was on a taunting spree, between getting Hagrid in trouble, what she did to Bakura's hair, Gryffindor loosing, Harry falling off his broom, and Harry's Nimbus getting smashed to bits. Who knew what she would do when she was really mad?

They all sat down for breakfast, with Bakura sneaking over from the Hufflepuff table to be with his friends. It was an effort to try to enjoy themselves, with so much riding on a single match, but they managed just nicely. The only trouble they had was when Ecillia came over to their table with Crabbe and Goyle in tow as always, much to Draco's displeasure. She did not pay him any heed, however, as she was too focused on the Firebolt and Harry.

"Think you can handle that thing, Pothead?" she sneered.

"I'll manage," Harry responded flippantly, taking a bite out of a biscuit and promptly ignoring her. Ecillia would not let him get away with that, however.

"Maybe they should install a parachute on it, incase you get too close to a dementor," she replied.

Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

"Maybe you should install an extra arm on yours, so it can catch the Snitch for you," Harry returned coolly, looking pointedly to her "injured" arm, which was still in a sling even after all this time.

The surrounding students laughed. Ecillia just fumed silently, before stalking back to the Slytherin table. Draco looked over his shoulder to see that her and the rest of the Slytherin team had put their heads together, probably asking her if Harry's broom was really a Firebolt… or discussing a way to sabotage the game. He turned back to his meal, assigning himself a covert operation: watch Ecillia.

When the team got up to go to the locker room, Draco immediately went to Wood and told him his suspicions. Wood got that "deep thinking" look on his face, tapping his foot on the floor.

"Well, it's not like we're playing against Slytherin, so the likelihood of one of the others getting pummeled is next to none…" he muttered. "All right, trail Ecillia, but if it looks like she's not going to do anything major, come back right away, okay?"

Draco nodded emphatically, before following the rest of the team out onto the grounds. He split off from them just as they reached the Gryffindor locker room and hid in the bushes, keeping the entrance to the castle in sight. Time passed, and he started getting impatient – he never was one for waiting for something to happen. One would have thought that Ecillia would have come out from school by now! He heard the starting whistle go off inside the stadium and started to stand. Maybe she really _was not_ going to do anything…

He ducked back down almost immediately. Ecillia, Crabbe, Goyle, and the Slytherin team captain, Marcus Flint, had just emerged from the double doors of the school. The two bodyguards had some kind of black bundles slung over their shoulders. They headed for the stadium and went around to one of the main spectators entrances. Draco followed as closely as he dared, sticking to any kind of shrubbery where he could, or distancing himself enough away so they would not see him if they turned around. Not that they did; they were too caught up in their plot to take much notice in anyone trailing them.

The four of them stopped at the entrance closest to the gate to the school, and Crabbe and Goyle dropped their bundles.

"Careful with those, you idiots!" Flint snapped as Draco pressed himself flat against the ground amongst a crowd of small bushes. He peered around the branches of one bush to see what they had dropped… and nearly laughed out loud.

Dementor costumes!

They could not be serious? Even they had to be smart enough to know that Harry was not afraid of dementors themselves, but the repressed memories that they forced him to view. What dolts!

Draco waited until the four of them were too preoccupied with putting on the overly large costumes before sneaking away from them; he was not going to miss this show. Once he was out of sight, he broke out into a run, barreling into the Gryffindor locker room, throwing on his scarlet and gold robes and grabbing his broom before racing out to the reservists spot. Marik gave him a strange look as he approached, gasping for breath.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked. "You've missed half the game!"

"But not half the show," Draco replied, a secret smile on his face. Marik just raised an eyebrow, not really understanding what he meant, and getting the feeling he did not want to either.

The two of them cast their eyes to the sky as a loud groan of disappointment came from the stands. Apparently, and Ravenclaw beater had hit a bludger toward Harry, making him loose sight of the Snitch. Fred or George – they could not tell which – hit a bludger toward the beater in retaliation, making the person spin in mid air to avoid it.

"Gryffindor leads eighty points to zero," the commentator, Lee Jordan, announced, before going into a long vocal fondling of the Firebolt. McGonagall yelled him at for that, getting a smile out of Draco. It was always enjoyable during a match with those two.

Harry started accelerating suddenly, only to have to swerve away to avoid colliding with the Ravenclaw Seeker, a girl by the name of Cho Chang.

_"Harry! This is no time to be a gentleman!"_ Wood roared from the goal posts. _"Knock her off her broom if you have to!" _

Draco shifted on his feet, getting anxious. Sure, Harry played fair, but if you were stupid enough to get in front of him when he saw the Snitch, he was not going to stop for you. This was a fact he had found out the hard way one day during practice. So, why the heck did he stop? Just because Cho was a _girl_… well, that was no excuse!

Harry dived suddenly toward the ground. Cho, thinking he had seen the Snitch, followed suit; only to get quite a surprise when he suddenly shot up into the air toward where the Snitch _really_ was. He was so close… only a little farther…

Someone screamed. Marik groaned.

"Not again!" he exclaimed.

Draco looked down to see that the "dementors" had finally showed up. He snickered in a sort of sadistic excitement, which got a confused look out of Marik.

"You feeling okay?" he asked, before pausing a moment. "And why didn't it get cold?"

"You'll see."

Up above, Harry was not fazed by the appearance of the dementors either. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out his wand and waved it.

"Expecto patronum!"

Something silvery and white shot out of his wand, but he did not stick around to see what it looked like. He had a Snitch to catch! Reaching out with the hand still clutching his wand, he felt it wrap about the Golden Snitch…

Madam Hooch's whistle sounded, and before Harry knew it, he was surrounded by the rest of the team, all of them hugging or pounding him on the back. Somehow, they all managed to get back down to the ground, where the Gryffindor supporters – led by Draco and Marik – poured out onto the field. Surrounded by such reveling, Harry almost did not see Professor Lupin come up behind him and congratulate him on his patronus.

"Professor, it was amazing!" he exclaimed. "The dementors didn't affect me at all!"

Draco sniggered. "That's 'cause they _weren't _dementors."

Harry blinked, confused, as Draco grabbed him by the arm and led him to where the dementors were, only, like he had said, they _were not_ dementors. Ecillia, Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint were struggling to untangle themselves from the costumes they had donned. Apparently, Ecillia had been standing on Goyle's shoulders, because she was trying to kick his head away from her. Both McGonagall and Snape were hovering over the four of them, furious and disappointed looks on their respective faces.

"An underhanded trick!" McGonagall exclaimed, pulling Ecillia up by her ear. "Fifty points from Slytherin and detentions for each of you!"

Snape pulled Flint up to his feet by his arm. "And I expect essays from each of you," he snarled, seeming more disappointed that the prank failed. "Two rolls on what the dementors abilities are and how they affect humans!"

Ron, Yugi, Bakura, and Marik joined up with Harry and Draco as the four Slytherins were led away. They were nearly doubled up with laughter as Ecillia said something that only made McGonagall twist her ear a little harder.

"Hey, Harry!" George called over the crowd. "Party! Gryffindor common room! Now!"

"Yeah!" Harry called back, feeling better than he had in a long time.

-.oOOo.-

The party for the Gryffindor team that night was so exuberant, that it was almost as if they had already won the Quidditch Cup. The Weasley twins had "disappeared" for a while, only to return with butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and bags full of Honeydukes candy. Despite the fact that the origin of the candy was questionable (to everyone but Harry and his group of friends), it only added to the excitement.

As George started tossing peppermint frogs out into the crowd, Marik went over to where Hermione was curled up in a chair away from everyone else, an inhumanly large book in her lap. He frowned, before tossing her a pumpkin pasty.

"Did you even come to the match?" he asked.

"Of course I did!" she replied shrilly. "I'm very glad we won, but I have to finish reading this by Monday!"

"Come on, Hermi-chan, give it a rest," Marik encouraged. "We're all having fun here, you should too."

Hermione sighed, calming down a bit as she opened up her pumpkin pasty. "I know, Marik, and I would love to, but I still have over four hundred pages to go through. Besides," she added, nodding in Ron's direction, _"he_ doesn't want me around."

Of course, to exemplify the point, Ron chose at that moment to say aloud, "It's a shame Scabbers had just been _eaten._ He could have had some of these fudge flies. He really used to love them…"

Before Marik could do or say anything, Hermione burst into tears and ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. Frowning, the Egyptian went over to where Ron was standing, giving him a cold look.

"Knock it off," he ordered.

"No," Ron replied flatly. "If she just acted like she was sorry – but she'll never admit she's wrong, Hermione. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something."

It took all the restraint available in the world to prevent Marik from hitting him.

The party continued on well into the night, and only ended when Professor McGonagall turned up in her dressing gown and hair net to chase them to bed. Not that she needed to work too hard, showing up like _that._ Everyone climbed up the stairs to their respective dormitories, many of them still discussing the match. When they finally reached their dorm, Yugi and Yami Yugi exhaustedly collapsed into their bed and drew the curtains closed with barely a muttered "G'night", getting looks from some of the other boys and a snicker from Seamus. Marik just rolled his eyes before falling into his own bed, managing to draw the curtains closed before drifting off to sleep…

The Egyptian's favorite dream filled his vision almost instantly. He was on his motorcycle, ripping though the deserts of his home country, kicking up piles of sand as he passed. His helmet was off, allowing the wind to fly through his whitish blonde hair, twining grains of the ever-present sand into it.

Something was different, though. Normally, there were not any people in this dream, but as Marik squinted ahead, he could have sworn he saw someone or something… Truthfully, all he had seen was a glint of gold, but that usually meant someone was around, right? He revved the engine, turning slightly to head in the direction of the glint.

As he got closer, he saw that the glint did indeed belong to a "someone"; a man to be exact, and even though Marik was still a ways off, he could tell the man was wearing priests robes. He slowed as he got closer, and in the end stopped his bike right before the man.

The man was definitely from the past, there was no question about that. He was fairly tall, but not much taller than Marik himself was. His white headdress was secured to his head by a priest's crown topped with a strange circular design. He stood tall and proud, but there was a bit of a sad gentleness in his chiseled face. None of this really caught Marik's attention, though. What really caught his attention was what was hanging around the man's neck.

The Millennium Ring!

Marik looked up at the man. Could he be…?

_"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

Marik awoke with a jolt, surprised and a little annoyed by the sudden scream that had interrupted his dream. He tore open his curtains, just in time to see a dark figure rush out of the room, slamming the door behind.

General commotions where going around. The bulging from Harry's bed curtains indicated he was having trouble getting them open. Yugi and Yami Yugi poked their heads out from behind their curtains, looking like some two-headed animal in the near darkness. Seamus and Neville had fallen out of their respective beds, and the former was looking around, asking what was going on. There was no movement from Draco's bed; how could he have slept through that? Harry finally managed to get his curtains open as Dean Thomas lit his bed lamp.

Ron, however, was sitting up in bed, a look of horror on his pale face. The hangings on his bed were torn on one side.

"Ron, what's the big idea?" Harry asked tiredly.

"Black!" Ron shouted hysterically. "Sirius Black! Knife!"

_"What!"_ Dean exclaimed.

"Here! Just now! Slashed curtain! Woke me up!"

"You sure you weren't dreaming?" Yami Yugi asked.

Ron managed to calm down enough to yell a full sentence. "Do the curtains look like I was dreaming!"

Everyone scrambled out of bed, sprinting for the door and back down to the common room. Doors opened behind them, and sleepy heads poked out from behind them, asking what was going on. They were ignored for the most part, unless they joined the third year boys in the dash back to the common room. Unfortunately, other than the usual and the debris from the party, the common room was deserted.

"Are you _sure_ you weren't dreaming, Ron-kun?" Yugi asked around a yawn.

"I'm telling you, I saw him!"

At this point, some of the girls came down from their dorm, pulling on dressing gowns. Percy also appeared, pinning on his Head Boy badge to his pajamas.

"Everyone back upstairs!" he ordered. "McGonagall said no more for tonight."

"Perce!" Ron exclaimed, running to his brother. "Sirius Black! In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"

The common room got very quiet.

"Nonsense!" Percy stated, looking a bit rattled. "You had too much candy, Ron. You had a nightmare."

"I'm telling you – !"

"Now really, enough's enough!"

Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait closed behind her as she entered the common room, more than a little peeved that the students of her house were still up.

"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous!" she exclaimed. "Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I didn't authorize this, Professor!" Percy exclaimed, rattled that she would suggest such a thing. "My brother just had a nightmare –"

_"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!"_ Ron wailed. _"PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME WITH A KNIFE!" _

Professor McGonagall just stared. "Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he have gotten in?"

"Well, someone was in here that shouldn't be," Marik spoke up. "I saw someone bolt out of the dormitory just after Ron-kun screamed."

"See!" Ron exclaimed. "Ask Cadogan! Ask him if he saw…!"

Glaring at him with a suffocating amount of suspicion, McGonagall ducked back out of the portrait hole to talk to Sir Cadogan. Inside the common room, the students waited with bated breath, hoping against hope that the two of them were only dreaming…

"Sir Cadogan," McGonagall began, "did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" the knight proclaimed.

Stunned silence filled both inside and outside the common room. Yugi looked like he was going to faint; his bed was right next to Ron's.

"You… you _did!"_ McGonagall exclaimed. "But… but the password!"

"He had 'em!" Sir Cadogan replied proudly. "Had the whole week's written on a piece of paper, my lady!"

After a long pause, Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole. Her face was white with quiet disbelief and rage. She gazed at the crowd of silent students.

"Which person," she began, her voice shaking slightly. "Which abysmally foolish person wrote down the week's passwords and left them lying around!"

There was utter silence, except for a small squeak of fear coming from Neville Longbottom.


	13. The Floating Head

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN – THE FLOATING HEAD**

Poor Neville was suffering so much for his forgetfulness that it was hard not to feel sorry for him. He was not allowed to know the password to get back into the Gryffindor common room. Instead, he had to wait outside until someone from his house came by and let him in. A few mornings after the incident, he received a howler from his grandmother, which he quickly ducked out with amid howls of laughter from the Slytherin table.

There was some good news in all of the chaos Black's appearance had. Sir Cadogan had been fired as a portrait hole guardian, and the Fat Lady, fully restored, was returned to her post. Although, now she had extra security guarding her, in the form of two trolls lugging around large clubs.

A few mornings after the incident found Harry letting out a loud yawn as he plopped down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. Yami Yugi was out, munching on a biscuit and sitting next to Yugi, who was busily looking over a note. The latter looked up at him as he sat down, smiling brightly as he motioned toward the note in his hand.

"My friend, Jonouchi-kun, just sent me this," he said, handing Harry the note. "He's going to be graduating this year, and he's really excited about getting out of school."

Harry stared at the note and the sloppy squiggles written all over it, turning it over and over again, trying to make sense of it. He handed it back almost right away, and Yugi looked a bit sheepish as he took it back.

"Gomen," he said. "I keep forgetting you can't read kanji."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "So… is that what it was?" he asked. "It just looked like gibberish to me."

Yugi and Yami Yugi sweatdropped as Marik sat down next to them. "Yeah, well, Jonouchi-kun was never that great as far as writing was concerned."

Marik gave him a look. "Only in writing?"

Yugi's sweatdrop got bigger while his other rolled his eyes. "Okay," the spirit began, popping the last of the biscuit into his mouth, "so it's a miracle Jonouchi-kun is graduating in time with the others. At least he made it, right?"

Marik just stared at him. "Where the heck is that biscuit going?"

Yami Yugi fell over in mock death, getting chuckles or stares out of the surrounding Gryffindors.

Just then, Harry's white barn owl, Hedwig, arrived. She fluttered down onto the table lightly, nipping his fingers slightly to get his attention. He took the envelope from the owl's grasp, before she went off to nibble on some cornflakes.

"What is it?" Marik asked as he finished reading the note.

"Hagrid wants me and Ron to come down for tea," Harry answered.

"Just you and Ron-kun?" Yugi asked. "I wonder what's up."

-.oOOo.-

So it was that around six in the evening, Harry and Ron went off to Hagrid's hut, while Yugi and the others went to the library for a cram session. Somehow, they had managed to pry Hermione from her seat in the common room and got her to come along with them. The session, however, quickly dissolved into a miniature debate of sorts, trying to make sense of everything going on lately.

"I swear, if Ron doesn't let up, I'll pop his head off," Marik muttered, closing his transfiguration book with a half-hearted sigh.

"Yeah," Draco agreed, shoving some parchment back into his bag. "I mean, Crookshanks did get a little out of hand sometimes, but there was no need for him to blow up on Hermione like that."

Hermione rubbed her eyes tiredly, not complaining when Marik reached over and shut her book. "He'll come around eventually," she replied around a yawn. "I hope he does anyway."

Bakura blinked, concerned. "Hermione, are you all right?" he asked. "You look like you're –"

Too late; Marik had to leap toward her a bit to catch her before she fell off the bench, fast asleep. He leaned her against him, smiling slightly as she unconsciously nuzzled her face into his chest. Yugi frowned at her, concerned.

"She's been working herself way too hard lately," he said, before waving to her stack of textbooks. "How can she do all this work? Even Seto would have gone crazy by now."

Yami Bakura suddenly appeared, leaning over her slightly, ignoring the look that Marik was giving him.

"She might be using the Millennium Tauk, you know," he said.

"Why would you think that?" Draco asked, leaning forward slightly.

Yugi frowned mentally at his question. The young blonde had been asking him and Marik many questions about the Items as of late. Anytime he was asked why he wanted to know, however, he would get really quiet, as if even he was not sure why. He silently hoped that it was just curiosity, and that there was not anything wrong with Draco.

The tomb robber backed off, rubbing the tip of his nose in thought. "Well, the Tauk _does_ have power over time…"

"Yeah, but that's just the power to _see_ through time, not interact with it," Marik objected.

"Well, we don't know that for sure."

Everyone jumped as Yami Yugi suddenly appeared, sitting next to his hikari.

"Warning, Yami Yugi, warning!" Draco stressed. The former pharaoh just rolled his eyes, slightly amused.

"As I was saying," Yami Yugi continued, ignoring the glare the younger wizard was giving him, "we don't really know the full extent of the Tauk's powers. It was always in the nature of a soothsayer to keep to themselves unless approached by someone else."

Hermione suddenly sat up, her hair darkening to black as Aishisu took over. She frowned slightly at the former pharaoh, her hands on her hips.

"Could you please not talk about me like I wasn't here?" she asked, slightly annoyed. Yami Bakura smirked as Yami Yugi rubbed the back of his neck.

"Gomen, Aishisu," he apologized.

The tomb robber sniggered. "Looks like you got told, pharaoh."

Yami Yugi let out an annoyed growl before leaping over the table, scattering books and quills, to tackle the tomb robber to the floor. They leapt back to their feet, and a brief scuffle between the two of them followed, during which the spirit of the pharaoh somehow stretched Yami Bakura's face to impossible proportions before the two of them disappeared in a dust cloud. Kicking, punching, and Egyptian swearing followed that made the spectators sweatdrop. Aishisu put a hand over her face and turned away, embarrassed by her pharaoh's antics.

The fight would have gone longer, if the two spirits had not accidentally kicked over a book display. The group made a mad dash out of the library before the librarian noticed them, running all the way toward the Gryffindor common room and not stopping until they collided with Ron and Harry just outside the hallway to the portrait hole.

"Ow…!" Ron complained. "What's the big idea?"

"Blame the tomb robber," Marik said, helping Aishisu to her feet.

"Blame the pharaoh," Yami Bakura replied, glaring daggers while helping his hikari to his feet.

"How'd it go at Hagrid's?" Yugi asked, allowing his other self to pull him up to sit on his shoulder.

Harry got up, brushing himself off. "All right," he answered. "He told us to thank you, Hermione, for all the work you've done for Buckbeak."

"I'm not Hermione," Aishisu replied, rolling her eyes as Harry nearly freaked out.

-.oOOo.-

The following Saturday brought a promise of another trip to Hogsmeade. Harry agreed that he would go as well, but this time he was bringing the invisibility cloak with him, just in case. Ron, Bakura, and Yami Bakura waited for him outside of Honeydukes candy shop. The tomb robber was just starting to get impatient, when he suddenly felt something poke him in his side. He almost leapt up to the roof of the building in surprise.

"By Ra! You're almost as bad as the pharaoh!" Yami Bakura growled. Bakura elbowed him.

"Hush," he hissed. "C'mon, lets go to Zonko's."

The four of them emerged from Zonko's Joke Shop an hour later, their money pouches considerably lighter than when they had entered. Yami Bakura kept chuckling to himself, imagining what he was going to do to the pharaoh now with all his new gags, especially the nose biting teacup.

"So, where to next, Harry?" Bakura asked, giving his other half a concerned look.

"I'm going to go find my brothers," Ron said, waving to them before taking off down the street.

"Where're the others anyway?" Harry asked, whispering so as not to be noticed.

Yami Bakura glanced at the direction he thought the younger boy was in. "Draco's still in the candy shop. Marik and Hermione are in the Three Broomsticks, and pharaoh and his slut are probably fucking each other stupid."

Bakura jumped, looking like he was going to pass out at his other self's words. Harry had a similar look of disbelief – though they could not see – on his face as the tomb robber started chuckling evilly. Suddenly, Yami Bakura slung his arm around his hikari's shoulders and felt around for Harry, before tugging him forward by the lip of the invisibility cloak.

"C'mon, I still haven't figured out how to break into the Shrieking Shack yet," he stated.

The tomb robber propelled them up the dirt trail and the hill that led the most haunted shack in Britain. It was still creepy, even in the daylight.

"Even the Hogwarts ghosts avoid the place," Bakura explained to Harry. "Ron told me his brothers have tried to break in several times. Needless to say, it's not hard to figure out _why_ he wants to break in…"

Hot from the climb up the hill, Harry was about to pull off the invisibility cloak for a moment, when the sound of nearby voices reached their ears. The young wizard stuck close to Bakura and his other self as a moment later Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle appeared.

"…should have an owl from Uncle any day now," Ecillia was saying. "He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm… about how I couldn't use it for most of the year…"

Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

"I really wish I could hear that great hairy moron trying to defend himself," she continued. "'There's no 'arm in 'im, 'onest!' That hippogriff's as good as dead –"

Ecillia cut herself off, spotting Bakura and his other self, both of whom were giving her a bland look. Her face split into a predatory grin, as she walked up to them slyly.

"What are you doing, Whitey?" she asked.

Bakura and Yami Bakura managed to have the same threatening glare on their faces.

"I heard an interesting rumor," she began, twirling a lock of hair around her finger and ignoring their looks. "I heard poor little Whitey lives all by his lonesome, that his father couldn't care less about what happened to him." If possible, the predatory look on her face seemed to get worse. "I heard he doesn't even know that Whitey shares his body with a common thief."

Yami Bakura growled, and Harry managed to grab a hold of his robe to stop him from leaping on her.

"Leave her to me," Harry whispered, before slinking silently around Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle. For a moment, Yami Bakura was confused, wondering what the heck he was going to do. His confusion soon disappeared, however, replaced with a feral grin as a ball of mud suddenly hovered up in the air.

"You're really brave to come up here," Bakura stalled, also seeing the ball of mud. "After all, with all the rumors floating around the place. Rumors of… _vile_ ghosts; you must be brave… or just stupid."

Yami Bakura raised an eyebrow, looking down at his normally quiet hikari, slightly amused. There was no denying it now; he was a bad influence on the young man.

Ecillia scoffed. "I'm not afraid of anything!"

SPLAT!

Ecillia's head jerked forward suddenly as the mud ball hit her; her normally immaculate head of golden brown hair dripping with muck. Bakura and his other self had to hold onto the fence surrounding the Shrieking Shack, beside themselves with laughter at her priceless look of utter confusion. Crabbe and Goyle were shaking with fear; they could not use their muscles against ghosts!

"Very haunted up here, isn't it?" Yami Bakura commented, with the casualness of someone talking about the weather. Harry, in the meantime, was creeping over to a particularly nasty puddle that yielded some foul-smelling green sludge…

_SPLAT! _

Crabbe and Goyle caught some of it that time. The three of them ran about in terror, before coming to the conclusion that they should get out of there. They ran in Harry's direction, and he stuck his foot out in front of Crabbe, causing a domino effect on the three of them. Unfortunately, the bully's large foot caught the hem of the invisibility cloak, and with a sharp tug, Harry felt the cloth leave his face…

Ecillia looked up, and there was a long moment where she stared at his disembodied head…

_"AAAARGH!"_ she shouted, jumping to her feet and taking off back toward the town at breakneck speed, Crabbe and Goyle not that far behind.

"Harry," Bakura began, running toward his head, "you'd better get back to the school. If you get caught, I'll bail you out."

"Okay," Harry agreed, pulling the cloak back over his head before taking off down the path.

-.oOOo.-

Bakura ran through the halls of Hogwarts at breakneck speed, making his way to Snape's office. As soon as he returned to the school after the trip to the village, he heard right away from Neville that Harry had been taken to the dreaded Potions Master's office. Breathing heavily, he stopped a moment. He was not used to this kind of running; he had never been the athletic type. Suddenly, he straightened, his breath evening out.

"Pathetic hikari," Yami Bakura muttered under his breath, taking off the hallway again at twice the speed Bakura had been going.

He let Bakura take over once more when they reached the door to Snape's office. Bakura snapped the door open almost immediately, to reveal Professors Snape and Lupin, and a surprised Harry on the other side. He motioned toward the bag of pranks and the Marauder's Map on the desk.

"My – yami – gave – Harry – that – stuff," he breathed, still in need of air. "Bought – it… in Zonko's… ages – ago…"

"Well!" Lupin exclaimed, slapping his hands together cheerfully. "I'll take this back, shall I?" he asked, folding up the map and taking the bag of joke items. "Harry, Bakura, come with me. I need a word about my vampire essay."

Lupin escorted the two of them out, amidst a deadly glare from Snape. He walked them down the hall a ways, before he stopped and handed Harry back his bag of pranks.

"Professor, I –"

"No explanations, Harry," Lupin interrupted. "I don't know how you got a hold of this map. And, yes, I know it's a map. I am, however, _astounded_ that you didn't hand it in. Especially after what happened with poor Neville. I can't let you have it back."

Harry stared for a moment. He expected he would not get it back, but he had not counted on the professor being familiar with the map.

"You… do you know who made it?" he finally managed to ask.

"We've met," Lupin replied shortly. "Please, Harry, don't expect me to cover for you again. I can't make you take Black seriously, but after seeing what you do when you get near a dementor, I think you would care for your own life more than that. Your parents made the ultimate sacrifice to keep you alive, and you're repaying them in a very poor manner."

Lupin left, leaving Harry feeling like he was the biggest idiot on the face of the earth. Just then, Ron came up to them from behind a statue, a guilty look on his face.

"Sorry, Harry," Ron said. "I heard everything. It's all my fault; I shouldn't've convinced you to come."

"It's all right, Ron," Harry replied.

They started to make their way slowly toward the Gryffindor tower. Bakura parted company halfway there, leaving them walking alone in silence. When the two of them finally reached the hallway with the portrait hole, however, Hermione and Marik approached them.

"Come to gloat?" Ron asked bitterly.

Marik opened his mouth to snap at him, but Hermione cut him off.

"No," she replied. "We've got bad news. Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed."


	14. The Quidditch Final

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN – THE QUIDDITCH FINAL**

Bakura took the fact that Buckbeak was going to be executed the hardest, possibly even more so than Hagrid; he had a soft spot for the hippogriff ever since he had ridden it. Yami Bakura was hardly ever seen since the news, and when he did have occasion to come out, he was more foul than usual to everyone. It was clear he wanted to kill someone, namely Ecillia, for what was going on. The only thing that prevented him from doing so was the hope for an appeal.

The fact that tension was high over the Quidditch final coming up did not help anyone's moods either. It was going to be Slytherin versus Gryffindor, and the already strong rivalry between the two houses was doubled. Fights were suddenly breaking out in the hallways, more detentions were getting handed out than normal, and it was all between students of the two houses. A fifth year Slytherin even made the mistake of picking on Yugi. Unfortunately, McGonagall happened by as Yami Yugi was "defending" his little love, and it was the pharaoh that ended up getting the detention.

"Stupid trophy room," he muttered, rubbing wax off his hands after Yugi, Marik, Draco, Harry, Hermione, and Ron stopped by the pick him up in the morning before going off to Divination. "I don't see the point of keeping those things clean. No one ever goes in there to _look_ at them."

"Why do you think the teachers use it as detention, mou hitori no boku?" Yugi giggled, finding the fact that his other self had gotten stuck with punishment quite amusing.

Draco eyed Yami Yugi's dirtied hands. "Can't you just disappear into the Puzzle and come back out?" he suggested. "Wouldn't that get you clean?"

The pharaoh just sighed. "Yes, it would, but it's getting harder and harder to do that," he admitted. "It's almost like the thing doesn't want me in there."

Marik was about to comment on this, when an annoying laugh pierced their ears. They all turned angrily to see Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle behind them. Ecillia was standing before her two bodyguards, her hands on her hips and a look of absolute mirth on her face.

"Isn't that wonderful then?" she asking in a mockingly sincere voice. "Then you two can have all the… _fun_ you could possibly want."

Harry, Ron, and Draco approached threateningly, but someone else beat them to it…

_SMACK! _

Ecillia reeled, caught off guard by the slap that had come out of nowhere. She recovered quickly enough, staring – along with everyone else – at her attacker in surprise.

"How dare you!" Hermione accused. "Just because they care about each other doesn't give you the right to mock them, you dirty… you evil…!"

She raised her hand to strike her again.

"Hermione!" Marik exclaimed weakly, having barely enough of a conscious mind to grab her hand.

"Let _go_ of me, Marik!" she exclaimed, reaching into her robes with her free hand and taking out her wand. Ecillia, Crabbe, and Goyle goggled at her for a moment, hardly believing what they were seeing, before Ecillia ordered her cronies to get out of there.

_"Hermione!"_ Marik exclaimed again once Ecillia had left, still shocked at what had happened. Hermione ignored him however, whirling on him, Harry, and Draco, staring each of them down.

"You'd better defeat her in the Quidditch final!" she exclaimed shrilly. "I wouldn't be able to _stand _it if Slytherin won!"

The boys all goggled at her for a long moment, before Yugi brought to their attention that they were going to be late to Divination. They hurried up the stairs and up the ladder to get to Professor Trelawney's room. She was sitting there, waiting for them patiently to take their seats before she started the lesson. They did so, taking their seats at their usual table, caught off guard by the unusual glowing crystal ball resting in the center.

"Thank you for joining us," Professor Trelawney said in her usual misty voice. "I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned. The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art," the professor continued, shooting her a reproving look. "I do not expect any of you to See when you first peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes –"

Draco had to stuff a fist in his mouth to prevent himself from laughing out loud.

" – so as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious," she concluded. "Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will See before the end of the class."

Thus the practice began. Even Yami Yugi stayed present for the extremely boring lesson, and tried to see in the crystal ball himself, despite how idiotic he felt. He was not the only one who felt this way. Both Ron and Draco kept bursting into fits of giggles, Hermione and Marik kept shaking their heads in exasperation, Yugi gave up on it and just leaned against his other self, and Harry was too busy trying to chase away thoughts of "this is stupid" from his mind.

"Seen anything yet?" he asked after a quarter of an hour.

"Yeah, there's a burn mark on the table," Ron pointed out. "Someone spilled their candle."

"This is such a waste of time," Hermione groaned.

Professor Trelawney rustled past them at that moment.

"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she asked. Marik leaned back in his seat, waving toward their crystal.

"I don't need help," he announced.

The professor raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah, it's obvious what this means," Marik continued, a smirk creeping up on his face. "There's going to be loads of fog tonight."

Yugi nearly fell off his chair in mirth as their whole table burst out laughing.

"Well really!" the professor exclaimed as the rest of the class turned in their direction. Slightly flustered, Professor Trelawney approached their table and peered into the crystal ball. Harry just gave her a dull look as the illumination from the Orb made her eyes seem larger than they normally were.

"Oh my…" she breathed, gazing up at him. "It is here, plainer than ever… stalking toward you… the Gr –"

"Oh _pul-lease!"_ Hermione exclaimed. "Not that ridiculous Grim _again!" _

Professor Trelawney regarded her with her enormous eyes, the anger she was feeling clearly plastered on her face.

"I'm sorry to say, my _dear,"_ she began, "that from the moment you have arrived in this class, it has been apparent that you lack what the noble art of Divination requires –"

"Oh, knock off the sham."

Hermione crossed her arms haughtily, her hair darkening to black as Aishisu took over. The professor's previously harsh look melted into one of shock, caught off guard by the sudden change. Yami Yugi tensed, afraid that something was going to happen.

"Do you even understand half of the crap that comes out of your mouth?" Aishisu asked, clearly annoyed. "How can you call yourself a Soothsayer when you do not even understand the meanings behind half of the omens and signs that you see."

Professor Trelawney recovered herself then, fixing the Egyptian spirit with a nonplused look. "Are you implying that you understand better than I? A professor of this school?"

Aishisu rolled her eyes, before pulling her sweater down slightly, revealing the Millennium Tauk around her neck. At that Yami Yugi stood up from his seat, fixing the Soothsayer with a stern look.

"Aishisu, that's enough, stand down," he ordered.

Aishisu looked at him with determination in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Pharaoh, but no. You protect your light every time someone torments him. It's my turn to do the same for Hermione."

Yami Yugi held her gaze for a moment, before turning away and sitting down once again, having no argument for that. Professor Trelawney looked between the two spirits, the slight tinge of fear on her face easy to spot. The rest of the class, however, were totally fixated on Aishisu as she closed her eyes and held both hands on either side of the Tauk.

The Millennium Item suddenly exploded with blinding light, forcing some students to shield their eyes. An unfelt wind blew her hair back, revealing the Eye of the Wisdom of Darkness emblazoned on her forehead. Aishisu opened her eyes slightly, glaring at the professor – who had now backed away in fear and surprise – before she began to speak:

_On the day of fate  
__In the hour of destiny  
__Seven Chosen Ones  
__With the aid of the four Gods  
__Will stand before the un-Chosen  
__Who wields the power of the Stinking Head  
__The Seven Chosen will fight bravely  
__But in the end they will fall.  
__If these images remain unchanged  
__Then everything will return to the beginning  
__A thousand years to infinity  
__A thousand times to repeat forevermore. _

Yugi, Yami Yugi, and Marik stared at Aishisu, as the power she called on to make her prediction died away, and her arms dropped to her sides. After a long, drawn out moment, she opened her eyes again, gauging Professor Trelawney's reaction. The professor just stared at her, her bug eyes wide and her thin body trembling so badly it seemed as if it would snap. Satisfied, Aishisu gathered Hermione's belongings, walked over to the trap door entrance, kicked it open, and disappeared down the ladder. The six left at the table that they all had shared exchanged bewildered glances, before the boys got up and followed her out. No one moved to stop them; the class and the teacher were too shocked by the true prediction to do so.

Draco caught up to Aishisu first, grabbing her arm to help stop her brisk walk down the hallway.

"Aishisu, what was that!" he demanded. "What kind of vision was that?"

Aishisu turned to the six of them, her eyes lingering a bit on Marik. He stared back at her, concerned, but offered her a comforting smile. She swiped tears out of her eyes, before sighing slightly.

"I saw our deaths."

-.oOOo.-

Draco tossed and turned in his bed the night before the Quidditch final, unable to get any kind of sleep because of the stress that was plaguing his mind. Surprisingly enough, though, he was not focused on Quidditch as he should have been; he was more focused on the prediction that Aishisu had made. She said that she "saw our deaths"; could that mean she had seen his? Why would she, though? He should not have anything to do with such a weird prophecy!

Giving up on sleep, Draco pounded a fist into his pillow before heading out of the boys' dorm and down into the common room. Apparently, he was not the only one who could not sleep; Marik was already up, curled up in an easy chair with an old book propped open on his lap. The Egyptian looked up at him in mild surprise as he came down the stairs to plop down on the couch next to him.

"I don't know how Harry could possibly be sleeping right now," Marik said lightly.

Draco just raised an eyebrow. "That's not why you're up and you know that I know that," he pointed out. "When Aishisu said the 'Seven Chosen Ones', she meant the people with the Millennium Items, didn't she?"

Marik sighed thoughtfully, fingering his Millennium Ring. "I don't see who else it could be," he answered honestly. "That's not what bothers me, though. She mentioned four gods, but there are only three God Cards. That, and that 'Stinking Head'; I know I've heard that mentioned somewhere."

Draco just sighed – he only knew so much Egyptian mythology; he was hardly a scholar on the subject. He leaned his head back against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling of the common room. Frowning mentally, he reached under his bed shirt and pulled out the feather he wore around the chain.

"Marik, what's this?" he asked, holding it up, but not moving his head. He really did not need to; he could just picture the confused look on the Egyptian's face.

"A feather…"

Draco smirked, returning the feather to its normal hiding place.

"I thought so."

-.oOOo.-

The Gryffindor team received a standing ovation when they entered the Great Hall the morning of the match for breakfast. Harry hardly noticed, too busy rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Though he had gotten more sleep than Marik or Draco, he had not slept well, as his nervousness caused nightmares to plague him.

Breakfast went by in a blur. Wood kept encouraging the team to eat up, while hardly eating anything himself. Yugi seemed to be more optimistic than usual, and kept giving the team encouraging smiles. All too soon, they were hurried out of the Hall, to the accompaniment of applause from all the tables, save Slytherin.

"Good luck, Harry!" Cho Chang called over the crowd. Harry found himself blushing as Marik shot him a knowing look.

Bakura joined Yugi, Ron, and Hermione at the Gryffindor table when the team left, watching as the Slytherin team also made their way out to the field. The other Gryffindor's gave him a strange look as he sat down; students from other houses did not normally sit at the tables of other houses. Bakura ignored this, however, finishing a biscuit before his other half appeared on the seat next to him.

"I don't think this is going to be a clean match," the tomb robber stated, barely masking his glee at that.

Yugi just rolled his eyes at Yami Bakura's manner. "Why do you say that?"

"Because," Bakura answered for him, "I – well, _he_ – caught word that Slytherin changed their line-up."

Ron grimaced. "How bad?"

"You'll see," Yami Bakura stated, standing up.

The five of them started heading out with some of the other students who were either finished with their breakfast or too excited to eat. They entered the stadium and took their seats, quickly followed by a sea of people dressed in red. On the opposing side of the massive playing field, was a conflicting mass of green, as the Slytherin House showed off their pride for their team.

Soon after everyone was settled, the Gryffindor team emerged from their locker room. The stands erupted in cheers of "Go Gryffindor!" and "Lions for the Cup!" and easily drowning out the Slytherin jeers.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" Lee Jordan yelled over the loudspeakers. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood; and reservists Ishitar and Malfoy. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in years –"

An outpouring of "boos" from the Slytherin end cut off Lee.

"And here comes the Slytherin team," Lee continued, undaunted, "led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes to the line-up and seems to be going for size rather than skill –"

Lee was cut off by more jeers, but Yugi was not about to argue with the boy's assessment. Even from the distance he was at, he could tell that the group of players that had come out from the Slytherin locker rooms were of a lot thicker build than normal. In fact, the only one that was small and skinny was Ecillia, holding her broom over her shoulder cockily.

"Ne… Mou hitori no boku?" Yugi asked his other half (who had appeared when they arrived in the stands). "You don't think anyone's gonna get hurt, do you?"

Yami Yugi gave him a sheepish look. "I wouldn't count on it, koibito."

Suddenly, there was a sharp stab of a whistle cutting through the air, and the crowd erupted as the two teams took to the air. Whatever nervous feeling Harry had harbored soon evaporated as the thrill of flight coursed through his veins. His annoyance returned quickly enough, however; when he looked back, Ecillia was right on his tail. Tossing her a glare, he quickly turned his attention away from her and focused it at the match below.

Alicia Spinnet had gotten the Quaffle first, and had been speeding toward the Slytherin goal post before a Slytherin, who hit her with enough force to nearly knock her off her broom, intercepted her. A bludger from George quickly solved that problem, and Angelina Johnson recovered it, before closing the distance to the goal posts and nailing the first score of the game.

The crowd cheered her as she went to take up position after her score. She pumped a triumphant fist in the air, before…

_"THAT WAS DELIBERATE!" _Lee shouted over the loudspeakers.

Flint had come up from out of nowhere and knocked Angelina clear off her broom. She landed on the soft sand below with a painful sounding thud, and Flint spent most of the time out that followed trying to say that he did not see her. Eventually, she had to be taken off the field because of a broken arm.

Draco mounted his broom, trying to relax his grip, but his nerves were too jumbled up for that. He waited for Madam Hooch's whistle before soaring up to take Angelina's place in the game. Given the Quaffle, he scored the penalty shot meant for her, making it in easily.

"All right, Draco!" Lee shouted. "He's beaten the Keeper! Twenty – zero to Gryffindor."

Draco soared back to his side of the field before he could get hit or worse; he was going to be a target in this game, he knew it. He gazed up briefly toward Harry, who was zooming about the field with Ecillia close on his tail. It was essential for Harry to catch the Snitch when their team was fifty points ahead. If he did not, then they would win the game, but loose the Cup.

Draco snapped out of his thoughts as Lee started shouting again. One of the Slytherin Chasers had cut of Katie Bell, but instead of grabbing the Quaffle, grabbed her head and nearly sent her off her broom. After the Slytherin got a thorough tongue lashing from Madam Hooch, Katie scored the third goal of the game.

"HA!" Lee shouted. "Take that you dirty, cheating –"

"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way –"

"I'm just telling it like it is, professor."

Harry smirked at their antics, before his heart leapt up into his throat. He had seen the Snitch, floating about one of the Gryffindor goal posts. Problem was, if Ecillia had seen it too…

Thinking quickly, Harry pulled his Firebolt around and zoomed for the Slytherin end of the field. Ecillia bought the faked sighting and followed as close as she could. He let himself have a private smile; he had no doubt that she was a good Seeker, but she was easily duped. Harry did not have long to dwell on this thoughts, however, as a bludger hit by the Slytherin Beater whizzed by his ear. He reflexively ducked, only to get grazed in the shoulder by a second bludger, courtesy of the other Slytherin Beater.

Dimly aware of the two brutes closing in on him with their clubs raised, Harry waited until the last moment before turning his Firebolt upward and soaring off. The two lugs collided with a sickening crunch, much to everyone but Slytherin House's delight.

"Ha haaa!" Lee exclaimed. "Too bad boys! You'll have to move faster than that to catch a Firebolt!"

Draco, in the meantime, was soaring down the field, the Quaffle firmly tucked under his arm. He knew that his former captain, Marcus Flint, was catching up to him, but he forced himself not to think about it. He just had to get to the Slytherin goal and get them another score so Harry could get the Snitch that much faster and prevent anymore of their teammates from getting hurt.

This was easily the dirtiest game he had ever played in.

Flint pulled up along side him finally, his ugly face leering at him. "You're going to end up as paste, you lousy traitor," he sneered.

Draco shot him an annoyed look. "Buzz off, Flint!" he exclaimed, before hitting the brakes. Flint, caught off guard, soared past him. Allowing himself a smirk, Draco soared up slightly, before lobbing off the Quaffle in a perfect pass to Alicia. Just before she could catch it, however, one of the Slytherin Beaters came out of nowhere and hit her with his club.

The stands erupted at that, with Slytherin applauding the move and everyone else shouting obscenities. Furious, Fred went up to the Beater and elbowed him in the face in retaliation. Lee, meanwhile, swore so badly at the previous dirty move that Professor McGonagall tried to tug his megaphone away.

"Sorry, Professor, sorry! It won't happen again! So, penalties to both Slytherin and Gryffindor. Alicia scores! And – oh no…"

Flint had scored his penalty shot as well, bringing the score to forty – ten, Gryffindor.

The Snitch had disappeared from view and Ecillia, furious at having been led astray from it, was watching Harry like a hawk. He ignored her, listening to the commentary closely while looking about. Once Gryffindor was fifty points up…

Katie scored, and Fred and George were swooping about her as she made her way back to safety, making sure none of the Slytherins thought to try and get revenge. Taking advantage of the Weasley twins' absence, the Slytherin Beaters shot both bludgers at Wood; they both caught him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Madam Hooch was beside herself with rage and disbelief.

_"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!"_ she shrieked. "Gryffindor penalty!"

Draco scored easily, bringing the score to sixty – ten. Moments later, Fred used a well-shot bludger to knock the Quaffle out of the hands of a Slytherin Chaser. Alicia seized the large red ball and scored another goal for the team.

Down in the stands, Yugi was gripping his seat in anticipation while the rest of the Gryffindor supporters were screaming themselves hoarse. If Harry could get the Snitch right now, then their team would win the Cup. He stared up at the young wizard, silently hoping he would find it…

Suddenly, Harry shot upward. Yugi jumped up from his seat.

"C'mon Har—!"

He cut himself off, a look of abject horror on his face. Ecillia had thrown herself forward when Harry shot off, grabbing a hold of the Firebolt's tail and pulled back, slowing him down. He kicked her hands off of his broom, but the damage was already done; the Snitch had disappeared once again. Madam Hooch went up and started shouted at Ecillia as she slid back on her broom, while the Gryffindor supporters starting cursing her out.

_"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" _Lee shouted over the loudspeakers, staying out of McGonagall's reach. _"YOU FILTHY, CHEATING, BITCH!" _

Professor McGonagall was not about to tell him off. She too was shouting obscenities at Ecillia, shaking a rude finger in her direction.

Alicia took the penalty Gryffindor received, but she was so furious she missed the goal by several feet. Their team was starting to loose their concentration, while Slytherin was reveling in Ecillia's dirty move.

"Slytherin in possession. Slytherin heading for the goal – Montague scores…" Lee groaned. "Seventy – twenty, Gryffindor."

Harry was marking Ecillia so closely, that their knees where knocking against each other. He was not about to let her anywhere near the Snitch.

"Oh, come off it, Pothead!" she exclaimed as she tried to turn, only to find Harry blocking her path.

"Draco Malfoy gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor," Lee announced suddenly. "C'mon, Draco, _c'mon!" _

Harry turned to look down at where Draco was streaking up the field. Every single Slytherin player apart from Ecillia was heading straight for him, intent on blocking him by any means necessary. Not sparing a second thought, Harry wheeled around, lying flat against the handle of his broom as he shot forward like a rocket.

_"AAAAAAARRRGH!" _

The Slytherin team scattered as he came shooting toward them, giving Draco a clear path to the goal posts.

_"HE SCORES! HE SCORES!" _Lee nearly shouted himself hoarse. "Gryffindor leads by eighty points to twenty!"

Harry, who almost pelted into the stands because of his move, brought his broom up and around in a position to head back toward the center of the field. What he saw as he turned, however, made his heart stand still. Ecillia was diving, a sickening look of triumph on her face. There, a few feet above the sand below, was a golden glimmer…

Harry did not even stop to think. He pressed himself flat against his broom again as he shot forward. Ecillia was so far ahead, but he refused to dwell on it. A bludger was sent in his direction, but he looped around it, avoiding it easily. He was at Ecillia's ankles… he was level…

Taking both hands off of his broom, Harry threw himself forward. One hand knocked Ecillia's out of the way while the other…

_"YES!" _

Somehow, he managed to pull out of the dive before he ended up permanently embedded in the sand. The crowd below him exploded in ecstatic cheers as Harry soared above them, showing off the Snitch that was clutched tightly in his hand.

In the next instant, Wood was speeding toward him, half-blinded by tears. He seized Harry by the neck and sobbed on his shoulder in absolute joy. This was followed by two thumps on his back as Fred and George hit him. Then came Draco, Alicia, and Katie's voices, "We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!" Even Marik joined them on his broom from the reservists spot, one of his nails bleeding from the stress he had taken out on it.

The team sank back to the earth, tangled together in a many armed hug, as a sea of scarlet burst forth onto the field. Before Harry even knew what had happened, he found himself on the shoulders of the Gryffindor supporters along with the rest of the team as they were led off to the teacher's box. Ron, Hermione, Yugi, Yami Yugi, Bakura, and Yami Bakura managed to push themselves through the crowd to get to Harry. Word escaped them; they just grinned up at him triumphantly. Even the tomb robber had the first genuinely happy smile he – and he assumed anyone else for that matter – had ever seen on his face.

The team was borne toward where Professor Dumbledore was holding the enormous Quidditch Cup. Harry silently wished, as a still sobbing Wood passed the Cup on to him, that a dementor was around. He lifted the Cup into the air in triumph, thinking that right there and then, he probably could have produced the world's best Patronus.


	15. The Death of Buckbeak

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN – THE DEATH OF BUCKBEAK**

**Monday  
**9 o'clock, Arithmancy  
9 o'clock, Transfiguration  
Lunch  
1 o'clock, Charms  
1 o'clock, Ancient Runes

Marik's eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he read over the unusual schedule that morning at breakfast. A week after Gryffindor's spectacular win at the Quidditch final, reality set in as the dreaded final exams loomed ever closer. The third year students seemed to have it worse, mostly because they were used to only having to worry about finals for the basic classes. With the elective classes added, most students were on the verge of nervous breakdowns from all the extra studying. Hermione was the worst off out of everyone, as her testing schedule proved.

"Hermi-chan," he began, "do I even want to know how you're supposed to take two exams at once?"

"No," Hermione responded distantly, munching on a biscuit as she filled out a study sheet.

Marik just shook his head and put the schedule down, before shooting Yugi, Harry, Draco, and Ron an exasperated look. The four of them chuckled just as Hedwig dived in. She went to Harry immediately, dropping the note in her claws before him before heading for his bowl of cornflakes.

"It's from Hagrid," he announced, reading from the note. "Buckbeak's appeal is scheduled for the sixth, after we finish exams. They're coming here to do it; someone from the Ministry of Magic and… an executioner."

Yugi choked on the cornflakes he was eating. "Nani!" he exclaimed. "It sounds like they've already decided!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they had," Draco said sadly, poking his oatmeal with his fork. "My father practically has the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures wrapped around his finger."

"But that's not fair!" Ron exclaimed. "I've been helping him study loads of stuff for the appeal! They can't just ignore it all."

"Not many things are fair, Ron," Marik pointed out, sighing. "I can't even imagine how extra pissy the tomb robber's gonna be when he hears this."

"There's got to be something we can do," Hermione began, putting away her study sheet. "Is there any way we can see Hagrid?"

"Not with the new security precautions," Harry said sourly. "And my invisibility cloak's still in the passage going to Honeydukes, and if Snape sees me there again, I'm toast."

Yugi sighed, resting his elbows on the table, and his head in his hands. They were cornered, and there was nothing they could do to escape. He could not even imagine how Bakura – both of them – would take the news.

-.oOOo.-

Yugi came out of his Transfiguration exam, holding his head as if he had a headache. For someone who was good at the subject, he would have never imagined he could do so poorly. They had to turn a teapot into a tortoise, and he had done well at it during the practice when classes were still going on. When it came to the exam, however, his still had a willow-patterned shell. True, his mistake was not nearly as disastrous as some of the others – one student's was still blowing steam – but the fact that Hermione kept fussing that hers looked more like a turtle than a tortoise did not help matters.

The Charms exam was not nearly as disastrous. They had to partner up and perform a Cheering Charm on one another. The only problem was Harry overdid his in nervousness and Marik, whom he had been partnered with, had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour because he was laughing hysterically at the least little thing.

Care of Magical Creatures was the first thing they had the next day. Since the incident with Buckbeak, Hagrid had lost his nerve, and they reverted back to flobberworms. All they had to do for the exam was make sure their worm was alive by the end of class. A simple task, as the worms were best left alone. That gave Harry and the others a chance to break the news to Bakura. As predicted, Yami Bakura did not take the news remotely well.

"Let that Lucius Malfoy cross my path," the tomb robber growled, having taken over his hikari's body. "I'll send him to the Shadow Realm so fast, he wont even know what happened."

Ancient Egyptian Magic almost went by without a hitch. All they had to do was recite the Egyptian alphabet and perform a simple spell of their choice. Yugi had attempted a fire spell, only to have it backfire in his face, much to his displeasure. Shadi calmly handed him a cloth to wipe his face off, before allowing him to try again.

It was Potions that nearly killed everyone. Even Marik, who was good at the class, could not get his Confusing Concoction to thicken. Snape glared down at him as he made the effort, and scribbled something in his notes that looked suspiciously like a zero before walking away.

"Do me a favor, Yugi-kun," Marik said after they left that exam. "Have the pharaoh play another game against Snape. He needs to be trapped in his own head for a few days."

Thursday the sixth came, and the first exam they had was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had set up a strange sort of obstacle course outside, in which they had to wade across a pool containing a grindylow, cross an area of potholes where Red Caps were hiding, squish through a patch of marsh while ignoring a hinkypunk that would try to lead them astray, and then lastly climb into an old trunk and do battle with a boggart.

"Good job, Harry," Lupin commented as Harry emerged from the trunk. "Full marks."

Harry grinned, before sitting down next to the professor and waiting for his friends to finish. Marik managed to get through without any problems as well. Yugi had a bit of trouble with the Red Caps – he was so small that they managed to get him in the stomach with their clubs a couple of times. Ron did well too, until he managed to get turned around in so many circles by the hinkypunk that he ended up waist-high in the quagmire. Draco managed to get bit by the grindylow in the arm, but he just tore off a piece of his robe, tied it around the wound, and finished the rest of the test quickly. Hermione did everything splendidly until she got to the boggart. She disappeared into the trunk, only to emerge a minute later, screaming.

"Hermione!" Lupin exclaimed, startled. "What's the matter?"

"P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione sobbed. "Sh-she told me I failed everything!"

Marik could not hold it in; he burst out laughing, falling over in his mirth and landing on the ground with a thud. It took a while to calm her down, after which the Egyptian got smacked for laughing at her. A hug from him made up for that, to the groans of everyone else. The sight of a familiar face, however, cut off any snide remarks on the subject.

"Hello there, Harry!" Cornelius Fudge called as he started out onto the grounds, heading for Hagrid's hut. "Just had an exam, I expect?" he continued. "Nearly finished?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied.

The Minister of Magic sighed. "Such a beautiful day… pity I'm here to view such horrid business."

Ron practically jumped out of his shoes. "Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" he asked.

"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," Fudge replied, looking at Ron with a raised eyebrow.

"Then that means that maybe you won't have to see an execution!" Ron exclaimed. "Maybe the hippogriff will get off."

Fudge put his hands on his hips. "Now see here, how do you know about this?"

Before any of them could answer, two wizards came from the castle to join the Minister. One was ancient, and looked almost like a strong wind gust would easily blow him away. The other was tall and muscular, with a shining ax thrown lazily over one shoulder. Ron's eyes grew wide at the sight of it, and he opened his mouth to say something when Draco grabbed him by the hood of his robes and led him inside the castle, the others following close behind.

"Why'd you stop me?" Ron demanded as soon as they were inside. "They've even got the ax ready! This isn't justice!"

"Ron, I think you've been watching that muggle show too much," Draco replied. "You know, _Law and Order?_ Besides, you can't just go shouting your head off at Fudge. Your father works for him, remember?"

"Don't worry, Ron," Hermione began. "I'm sure Buckbeak will get off. Just as long as Hagrid keeps his head this time…"

Even she did not look convinced at her own words. The group of friends went on to the Great Hall, where they ate in silence, the darkening circumstances killing any excitement over the fact that exams were almost over and done with. After that it was on to the Divination final for Harry, Yugi, Ron, Marik, and Draco, while Hermione went off to her Muggle Studies exam.

When the five boys arrived at the trap door leading up to the classroom, they saw most of their classmates already assembled outside.

"She's seeing us all separately, so we can look in the crystal balls," Neville explained. "Have either of you seen anything in yours since we started on them?"

"Only an unending prediction of fog," Marik replied, as the door above swung open and a student descended the rope ladder, shaking the whole way. Some of the others asked what he saw, but the student refused to answer, walking away a bit before making a mad dash down the stairs, heading for the common room.

"Draco Malfoy!" the misty voice called from above.

"Lovely…" Draco muttered under his breath, before heading up the silvery ladder.

The Divination classroom was even hotter than normal. The curtains were drawn and the fire was lit, and that same sweet smell of incense assaulted his nose as soon as his head poked through. Professor Trelawney was waiting for him, sitting in her winged chair before a large crystal ball. He sat across from her, trying not to let his disdain for the meaningless exam show. Already, he was trying to think up a good false prediction in hopes of throwing her off and getting a good score at the same time.

"Good day, m'dear," she greeted softly. "Now, kindly gaze into the Orb… Tell me what you see."

Draco blinked a bit, before squinting into the glowing crystal ball before him. As usual, he did not see a thing. He opened his mouth, ready to come out with a typical cleverly concocted lie, when he stopped. Something moved within the swirling mass of glowing white. After a moment, it solidified into an object… one he had seen at the library ages ago.

"Well, my dear?" Trelawney asked. "What do you see?"

"I… I…"

As he struggled to tell her, something else appeared, slithering about toward the Millennium Scale. The snake lifted itself up, its tongue flicking in and out, before coiling up in one of the Scale's golden baskets, forcing it to tip down to accommodate the creature's weight. It settled there, its head slightly hanging over the side. After a moment, a small white feather with gold outlining appeared, drifting down from nowhere to settle on the other basket. Despite the drastic differences in weight, once the feather landed in the basket, that side tilted down until the Scale was perfectly balanced.

Draco stood up, nearly toppling his chair over. He stared at the crystal ball, willing the image to change. It stubbornly refused to do so, remaining there as if to burn itself into his memory.

"My dear, what do you see?" Professor Trelawney's voice finally broke him away from the crystal. He stared up at her briefly, before looking back down at the Orb. The image had vanished without a trace.

"Mr. Malfoy…" she said, her patience wearing out.

"Balance," Draco finally replied. "I saw balance."

With that said, he quickly left the room, descending the ladder and rushing out of that accursed hallway, ignoring the calls to wait from his friends.

-.oOOo.-

About a half hour later, Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room more than a little shaken. When he had gone up to Trelawney's classroom, he bombed his exam, but that was not what bothered him. As he made to leave the overly hot room, the professor did something he would have never imagined: she made a real prediction. Most of it seemed to be gibberish, but from what he could gather, a servant of Lord Voldemort's would return to him, and it would happen that night.

He easily spotted his friends huddled together in a corner of the room and went over to them. Harry was about to share with them what Professor Trelawney said, but the defeated look on their faces stopped him.

"Buckbeak lost," Ron announced weakly, handing him a crumpled note. Harry looked down at it, instantly recognizing Hagrid's untidy scrawl.

_**Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset.  
Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't  
want you to see it.  
Hagrid**_

"We've got to go," Harry stated without hesitation, momentarily forgetting his own problem. "There's no way we can let them get away with this."

"But it's at sunset," Yugi protested, dejectedly. "There's no way we'll be able to get down there without the invisibility cloak."

Hermione tapped her fingers against the arm of the chair she was sitting in, before she asked, "Where did you leave it again, Harry?"

"In the passage leading to Honeydukes," he answered, giving her a strange look. "A statue of a witch guards the entrance."

"And how do you get it open?" she asked, standing up.

"You… you tap it and say, 'Dissendium'," Harry answered again, starting to panic slightly. "Wait, you're not gonna –"

Hermione was already out the door before he could finish. The boys just stared after her, dumbstruck.

"What has gotten _into_ her?" Ron asked.

"She hasn't really gone to get it, has she?" Marik asked.

Hermione _did_ go after the cloak. After a half hour of waiting, she returned with the silvery fabric tucked securely in her robes. The boys goggled at her.

"Hermione!" Draco exclaimed. "Have you lost your mind!"

"What is _with_ you lately?" Marik demanded. "First you bitch slap Ecillia, then you and Aishisu tell off Professor Trelawney…"

Hermione smiled proudly.

-.oOOo.-

A large impression moved across the grassy grounds of Hogwarts, toward the simple little hut that Hagrid lived in. The impression disappeared as it reached the steps leading up to the door, and a loud knock followed shortly after. The groundskeeper's head poked out after a minute, looking around for the person who knocked.

"It's us. Let us in."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid hissed, before standing aside and allowing the disembodied voice inside. He quickly shut the door behind it, and all of a sudden, Harry, Yugi, Hermione, Marik, Ron, and Draco appeared in the center of the room.

"We had to come down here, Hagrid," Yugi said as he sat down on a chair, Yami Yugi appearing leaning on the back of the chair. "There was no way we could have stayed up in the castle with what's going on."

"It's not fair what's going on," Yami Yugi stated. "Back in my reign, nothing like this would have happened."

"Well, not everyone can be a goody-two-shoes like you, baka pharaoh."

Nearly everyone jumped out of their skin at the voice coming from the corner of the room. They all turned to see a familiar, spiky white-haired man standing behind them.

"Tomb robber, how in the name of Ra did you get here?" Marik demanded, a hand on his chest to help steady his heart.

Yami Bakura gave him a bland look. "I'm a thief. How do you _think_ I got down here?"

Everyone sweatdropped, before Hagrid went over to make tea for everyone. He was not crying like the last time they had visited, but he was listless and shaking so hard that he dropped the milk bottle. Hermione encouraged him to sit in a chair, before taking up the task of making the beverage.

"Isn't there anything left you can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked as the giant sunk into his chair. "What about Dumbledore?"

"He's tried," Hagrid said sadly. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared… Yeh know what yer father's like, Draco."

Draco gave him a sour look. "Yeah," he agreed. "He's probably threatened to hex them and their families. Not only that, but I recognize the executioner. He's Macnair, an old friend of my father's."

There came a thud from where Yami Bakura was standing. The tomb robber had punched the wall out of frustration. Marik was going to try to offer a suggestion, when Hermione suddenly let out a shriek of surprise.

"Ron! I… I don't believe it! It's _Scabbers!" _

Ron blinked in disbelief. "What!"

Hermione carried the new milk jug she had recovered from the cupboard to the table and turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak, and a lot of scrambling, Scabbers popped out of the jug. Elated, Ron picked up his precious rat and held him up, speaking soothing words. The poor creature looked worse than ever, as he was extremely thin and had wide bald patches speckling his fur.

Suddenly, Hagrid stood up from his seat, totally ridged.

"They're coming…"

The group of students (and two Egyptian spirits) whirled around to the window, to see a group of men walking down the castle steps in the distance. It was Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge, the feeble old Committee member, and the executioner.

"Yeh gotta go," Hagrid said. "They mustn' find yeh here."

Harry and the others had all managed to disappear under the invisibility cloak before he finished. The giant went to the opposite end of the cabin, opening up a door that led to the garden in the back. There was Buckbeak, tethered to a tree behind the pumpkin patch… but no matter what they wanted to do, there was nothing they _could_ do.

"Go quick," Hagrid hissed as he started to close the door. "Don' listen…"

They were already on their way from the cabin though, each of their hearts heavy with their own thoughts. Starting up the sloping lawn toward the castle, they tried to stay as quiet as they could, considering there were eight people crammed under a not large enough invisibility cloak.

So it was understandable that it did not help any when Ron stopped in his tracks.

"Ron, c'mon!" Draco hissed.

"It's Scabbers… he won't… stay put…"

Ron was bent over as well as he could in the close confines of the cloak, trying to keep Scabbers in his robe pocket. The rat was literally going berserk, squeaking madly as it tried to twist out of Ron's grasp. Yami Bakura, who was standing behind him, put a hand over his mouth as well as over where the rat was struggling. They stood in hushed silence as the sound of men's voices came from the garden they had just left…

Followed by the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.

Hermione looked like she was going to pass out. "They did it!" she whispered, horrified. "I d… don't believe it! They killed Buckbeak!"


	16. Cat, Rat, and Dog

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN – CAT, RAT, AND DOG**

Everyone stood where they had stopped in total shock. Harry had a blank look on his face. Hermione was shaking so badly that Marik had to hold onto her, least she shook the already barely fitting invisibility cloak off of all of them. Yami Bakura's hands had clenched at the sound, and Ron was begging him to let go. The tomb robber realized what he was doing and let go, but he still was fuming to himself.

"Hagrid…" Yugi muttered, before trying to turn back. His other self grabbed his arm before he could leave.

"Aibou, that won't be a good idea," he warned. "If you're caught, we'll only get Hagrid in more trouble."

Tears started streaming down Hermione's face. "How… could… they…?" she asked, choking on her words. "How _could_ they!"

"Lets get out of here," Ron hissed, still holding onto the pocket that concealed Scabbers.

They made their way quietly up to the castle. The light of the late afternoon had faded away in the shock of the death, and an uncomfortable darkness had settled over the grounds. About halfway to the castle, however, they were forced to stop once more.

"Scabbers!" Ron hissed. "Hold still! Please! Stay – _OUCH!_ He bit me!"

"Will you keep your mouth shut?" the tomb robber asked, already irritated.

"He won't… stay put!" Ron exclaimed, furiously trying to keep a hand on his terrified rat. "What is the _matter _with you?"

Draco, however, was not paying attention to his fight to get a hold of the animal. Slinking low to the ground, a pair of wide yellow eyes was creeping toward them. There was no mistaking that bright orange fur, and whether or not Crookshanks could see them or not, it did not matter. Scabbers' squeals were loud enough to be heard all the way up to the top spire of the castle school.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione hissed. "Go away! Go away! Bad cat!"

Crookshanks did not listen to her, as he kept creeping closer.

"Scabbers, _NO!" _

Too late; the rat jumped out of Ron's hands, scurrying out from under the invisibility cloak. Crookshanks bound after the poor creature, and before anyone could stop them, Yugi and Ron ducked out after the two animals.

_"Yugi!"_ Yami Yugi moaned. Yami Bakura just sniggered.

"I thought you had a leash for him," he jibed, only to get a death glare from the pharaoh.

"Knock it off, you two!" Marik exclaimed, pushing his way between them and ducking out of the invisibility cloak to follow the two boys.

Sighing or making other general noises of frustration, the others followed close behind. Up ahead, they could hear Yugi and Ron shouting as they fought with the stubborn cat to get Scabbers back once more.

"Get lost you stupid cat!"

There was a thud.

"Ron-kun! I've got him!" Yugi shouted. "Get _off, _Crookshanks!"

Marik, still in the lead, almost fell over Yugi and Ron in his effort to skid to a halt. The others plowing into his back did not help him much. Despite it all, however, Yugi had Scabbers cupped in his hand, the rat's tail was sticking out from between his fingers and was shaking slightly in his fear.

"C'mon, quick," Harry urged. "Let's get back under the cloak –"

Before he could even finish, before they could even collect their breaths, there came the thundering of heavy paws. Something was bounding toward them… a big, black animal was coming directly at them. Hands went for wands, but they never got the chance to draw. The animal bounded right into the crowd of them, causing the group of teenagers and Egyptian spirits to scatter.

Yugi managed to get to his feet first, slipping Scabbers into his pocket before running toward the others, trying to see how he could help. Without warning, the animal leapt at him, taking his right arm in its mouth. He let out a cry of surprise as he suddenly found himself being dragged away.

"Mou hitori no boku!" he shouted, struggling frantically.

"Aibou!" Yami Yugi shouted, struggling to get back to his feet. He rushed to save his little hikari, when something hit him so hard against the face that he was knocked off his feet again. He sat up, wincing; it may not have hurt him physically, but he still felt it. There was another cry from his left, and he did not have to look to see that Hermione also got hit.

"Lumos!"

Wandlight suddenly appeared above the pharaoh, illuminating Draco's face… and the massive hulk of the Whomping Willow before them. Its branches creaked as it swung at them, but that's not what held everyone's attention. At the base of the trunk was the animal – a giant black dog – and it was dragging Yugi backward into a gap between the roots of the crazy tree. The little teenager fought desperately, but there was no way he could break away from such a massive dog.

"Yugi-kun!" Marik shouted, ducking as he almost got hit full in the face by a stray branch.

"Bakura!" Yami Yugi shouted.

Yami Bakura did not need to be told twice. Shrugging off his student robe, he plunged into the haze of whirling branches, all intent on killing him. Ducking, dodging, twisting, weaving; he moved about with all the agility that came with his title as the King of Thieves as he made his way toward the gap in the roots.

"Yami Bakura!" Harry shouted. "Lupin told me once that there's a knot that stops the Whomping Willow from swinging!"

"Where is it?" the tomb robber demanded, ducking as a branch swept above his head and then quickly rolling as another tried to take his legs off.

"On the trunk! Near the roots!"

Yami Bakura strafed to the side, seeing what Harry was talking about as he did so. He dashed forward, ducking another branch before reaching out with both hands and slamming them on the knot in the trunk. With a strange sort of sigh, the tree instantly fell silent and completely still. Not a branch or leaf twitched as the tomb robber let out a relieved sigh.

He motioned for the others to hurry, but just as they approached the gap in the roots, Crookshanks darted ahead of them, slipping into the hole easily enough. Harry went in next, quickly followed by Hermione, Marik, Ron, and Draco. Yami Yugi paused before following the others; he hesitated a moment, before clasping a hand on the tomb robber's shoulder.

"Thank you, Bakura," he said.

"Yeah, yeah," was his callous reply. "Just get in the damn tree, Panseru."

The two of them shared a smirk, before the pharaoh ducked into the hole headfirst. Yami Bakura waited until his feet disappeared into the opening, before letting go of the knot and diving in himself, only to find everyone crowded near the hole, with Harry's lighted wand at the point.

"Where's the kid?" he asked.

"Dunno," Marik replied, "but Crookshanks seems to."

The Gravekeeper pointed on ahead, to where a bottlebrush tail was disappearing into the darkness.

"What are we waiting for?" Yami Yugi demanded, racing ahead of everyone. "Lets go!"

They pounded down the tunnel, shouting for the pharaoh to slow down, but he did not hear them. All he could think of was his sweet little koibito… and what the hideous black dog could possibly be doing to him. He did not care how he did it, he just wanted his hikari back, but the tunnel was proving painfully long, and his breath was starting to come out in sharp, painful gasps. Suddenly the path sloped upward, and then twisted to reveal a patch of dim light filtering through a small opening. Crookshanks had already disappeared.

Without waiting a moment, Yami Yugi pulled himself up through the small opening, to find himself in one of the dingiest, most dirty rooms he had ever been in. Wallpaper pealed from the walls and foreboding stains dotted the floor. What little furniture was in the place was completely shattered, as if some kind of animal had torn through there. There was no one around, but there was a slightly ajar door to his right that led to a shadowed hallway.

Someone gave a soft squeak of fear behind him, and the pharaoh turned to see the others had joined him when he paused to look around the room. Hermione was clinging to Marik's arm in fright.

"Marik…" she murmured fearfully. "I think we're in the Shrieking Shack…"

"We are," Yami Bakura stated, his hands in his pockets as he kicked over a chair to reveal a long set of claw marks on the bottom. "But no ghost did that."

As if to prove him wrong, a creaking sound lurched overhead, causing all seven of them to look up toward the ceiling. Hermione's grip on her boyfriend's arm tightened in response. Marik shot her a slightly annoyed look, and she loosened her grip a bit. It was not that he minded the attention, it was just that if she held onto him that tight for any longer, he was going to loose feeling in his hand.

As quietly as they could, the group of seven crept out into the hallway and to the crumbling stairs beyond. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust one could burry their hand in, except for the staircase, which had a long swipe going up the center, like someone had been dragged up there. They quickly reached a dark landing, and Harry whispered the spell that would make his wand go dark again.

Only one door was open on the landing, and Yami Yugi instantly went up to it and pushed it open, despite the hisses to wait from the others. Inside was a tattered old canopy bed, which Crookshanks was lounged on, purring loudly. On the floor next to the bed, Yugi was sprawled out. He was clutching his leg in pain, which was sticking out at a painfully odd angle.

"Aibou!" Yami Yugi exclaimed, running over to the little one and wrapping him in a hug.

"Easy, pharaoh, you're gonna smother the kid," came the tomb robber's sarcastic voice as the others filed into the room.

"Where's that dog?" Draco asked, his wand held out in front of him as he looked about the room.

"Not… a dog," Yugi gasped in pain, gritting his teeth. He looked up to Harry. "It's a trap…"

"What…?"

_"He's_ the dog… _he's_ an Animagus…!"

Yugi had raised a shaking finger, and pointed to something in the darkness. They all whirled around in time to see the only door leading into the room snap close. A man with an ugly mass of filthy matted hair that hung to his elbows and deep sunken eye sockets appeared from the shadows. His waxy skin was pulled so tightly over his bones that he looked like he could have passed for a corpse. Something glimmered in his hand, and before any of them knew it, their wands had been dispelled from their hands thanks to Yugi's own wand.

"I thought you would come here to help your friend," Sirius Black said in a hoarse voice, his gaze focused entirely on Harry. "Your father would have done the same for me. Well done; this will make things so much easier…"

Harry narrowed his eyes. All the pent up frustration, all the anger he felt, all the sadness he endured; before he even knew what was going on, all of these things exploded within Harry as he lunged at Black amidst the shouts from his friends to stop. Apparently the much taller adult was not counting on a skinny little teenager to lunge at him, for the attack caught Black entirely by surprise. Somehow, Harry had managed to grab a hold of his wand arm and held on for dear life, even when a blast of red sparks missed his face by inches.

Black, however, recovered quickly from the assault, and used his free hand to grab Harry by the throat. His glasses went askew as the escaped convict held him aloft.

"No…" Black hissed. "I've waited for far to long…"

Suddenly, coming from nowhere on either side of Harry, both Yami Bakura and Draco head butted Black in the gut, forcing him to drop the young wizard and knock the wind out of him at the same time. The two of them struggled with the madman, while Harry edged away, fighting to regain his breath. Hermione went to his side as Marik and Ron jumped in to help Draco and the tomb robber. Yami Yugi remained by his hikari's side, who was close to passing out from pain.

With a startled shout, Yami Bakura was tossed from the struggle, impacting against a nightstand that easily gave way. Grumbling to himself, the tomb robber reached deep into his pants pocket and pulled out a Duel Monsters card with a green boarder.

"Energy Bind!" he shouted, holding the card above his head. The magic card glowed briefly, before near transparent beams of energy shot out of it, binding the struggling Black securely. The others that had been wrestling him backed off slightly, making sure he was really secured before stepping away fully.

The tomb robber tapped the still glowing card against the side of his face. "I knew I kept this thing around after Duelist Kingdom for a reason," he remarked.

"Thank Kami-sama for small favors," Marik said dryly as the pounding of footsteps started up the stairs. After a moment, the door burst open, to reveal Professor Lupin with his wand at the ready. He glanced over at Yugi, who was now out cold, to Harry, still crumpled on the floor, and lastly to Black, still bound with Yami Bakura's magic.

"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted.

Before the tomb robber could even blink, his Energy Bind card was ripped from his hands and sent skittering to a dark corner of the room. Once the card had left his hand, the effect from it was lost, and Black was once again free. Everyone stared in shock and surprise as Lupin helped the escaped convict to his feet.

"Where is he, Sirius?" he asked.

"Whoa, whoa, waitta minute!" Yami Bakura exclaimed, while the others were still trying to catch up. "Don't tell me you're _helping _this psychopath!"

Lupin opened his mouth to explain.

_"I don't believe it!"_ Hermione screamed suddenly, hurting Harry's ears. "You… you…! I didn't tell anyone, and you…!"

"Hermione, please, calm down," Lupin said, reaching out a hand toward her.

Hermione just shrunk away. "Stay away from me, you _werewolf!" _

Time in the room seemed to have come to a standstill at Hermione's words. Harry, still trying to get over the fact that Lupin – the man he had trusted to help protect himself – would help Sirius escape from Yami Bakura's abilities, and now this… Well, he just did not know what to make of all of it.

"How long have you known?" Lupin asked quietly, lowering his hand.

"Ages," Hermione replied. "Ever since you first took ill."

Lupin smiled slightly. "I'd expect nothing less of you, Hermione," he stated, before turning his solemn gaze to Harry. "Harry…?"

Harry looked up at him, his green eyes filled with the confusion he was feeling in his heart. He wanted to shout, he wanted to scream, but making such noises seemed rather pointless. Finally, he settled with:

"Why are you helping the man who murdered my parents?"

There was a long pause, before Lupin finally answered, "I'm doing nothing of the sort, Harry."

Harry's gaze flicked back and forth between Black and Lupin, and then turned to Yami Yugi holding tightly to his unconscious hikari, before turning back to Lupin.

"Then how did you know we were here?" he asked.

"The Marauder's Map," Lupin said simply.

"Whoa, hold up," Marik protested. "You know how to work the map?"

"Of course," the professor replied. "I'm one of the people who helped write it."

Ron blinked, his eyes going wide. "Moony!" he exclaimed.

A nostalgic smile came to Lupin's face. "Yes, I was Moony of the group of headstrong children known as the Marauders. Moony, Wormtail, Prongs –" He rested at hand on Black's shoulder – "and Padfoot."

Everyone was silent, trying to absorb all this information at once. Harry never took his eyes off of the two older men.

"Why did you follow us?" he asked finally.

"Very simple reason, really, yet complicated all at once," Lupin explained. "I knew you would try to console Hagrid in his loss, so I felt it wise to keep an eye on you through the map. When you left the hut and set back toward the castle, however, you were in the company of someone else."

Yami Bakura cleared his throat before pointing to himself. "Well _duh!" _

Marik smacked him upside the head. "I don't think he means you, smart ass."

"I was quite surprised to see this other person, so say the least," Lupin continued, ignoring their antics. "I thought at first that the map might be malfunctioning, but no. It could not have been, especially when Sirius dragged both him and Yugi into the Whomping Willow." The professor paused a moment, focusing his gaze on Yami Yugi. "May I see the rat in your partner's pocket?"

The pharaoh gave him a strange look as Ron stepped up in Scabbers' defense. "Hold on. What does Scabbers have to do with this?"

"Everything. May I see him?"

Ron cast a helpless gaze at Yami Yugi, before he finally shrugged, not seeing how it could hurt. Propping his hikari up against him, the pharaoh reached into his robes and grabbed a hold of the wriggling rat. He had to hold the creature by his tale in order to prevent it from taking off as he lifted it out of his aibou's robe pocket. Crookshanks stood up at the sight of the rat and hissed spitefully, only making him squirm that much more. Lupin moved in close, observing the rat intently.

"I thought so…" he muttered under his breath.

"You thought what?" Ron asked, confused. "He's just a rat!"

"That's no rat," Black stated.

"Are you blind?" Draco asked suddenly. "Of course it's a –"

"No, he's not," Lupin cut him off, standing up straight.

"He's a wizard," Black finished for him. "An Animagus by the name of Peter Pettigrew."


	17. The Servant of Lord Voldemort

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – THE SERVANT OF LORD VOLDEMORT**

There was a long, deafening silence in the shack as the absurdity of the statement was slowly absorbed into everyone's brains. Then, Draco voiced what was on everyone's minds.

"You're both mental," he declared.

"Peter Pettigrew _died,"_ Ron stressed. "Remember? _He_ killed him!"

He motioned toward Black, whose lip just twitched in slight annoyance.

"I meant to," he admitted, "but little Peter got the better of me. Not this time though!"

With that said, Black leapt toward Scabbers and Yami Yugi. Somehow the pharaoh managed to grab onto his hikari and hold onto the terrified rat while trying to avoid Black at the same time. Fortunately, he did not have to worry about it for long, as Lupin grabbed the gristly man and held him back.

"No, Sirius!" the professor exclaimed. "We have to explain first –"

"We can explain afterwards!" Black snapped, trying to break away from him.

"Sirius, think! Ron's kept him as a pet! And Harry… Sirius, you owe Harry an explanation!" Lupin interjected, trying to talk reason.

At the mention of Harry, Black paused, turning his sunken face toward the young wizard. Harry remained where he was on the floor, Hermione next to him, looking up at the escaped prisoner with a lost expression in his eyes. This got him to calm down slightly, and Lupin let go of him gradually, making sure he was not going to attempt jumping Yami Yugi again. Meanwhile, the pharaoh was depositing Scabbers into Ron's waiting hands, before looking up to the two men, holding Yugi tightly.

"I have to get my aibou out of here," he stated. "He… he's in a lot of pain."

He could not get any closer to the truth. His hikari had always been more sensitive to pain than most people he knew, and judging from the way his leg was bent, it was a wonder the feeling of pain flowing across their mental link was not even more intense.

Black narrowed his eyes. "No way. You'll –"

"Sirius," Lupin cut him off immediately. "He's hurt badly. Let him go."

Grudgingly, Black got out of the pharaoh's way. Yami Yugi stood and gingerly picked up the still unconscious Yugi, making sure he did not damage his leg any more than it already was. Tossing a furtive look to Harry, he headed out the door and down the stairs to the trap door he had arrived in. He jumped back down into the tunnel before starting off in a quick sprint back toward the castle, always keeping a firm grasp on his aibou.

"Hang in there, koibito…" he murmured under his breath, before he suddenly met with something that sent him sprawling to the ground. Yugi moaned in his unconsciousness, while Yami Yugi was busy looking around in the narrow and dark tunnel, trying to figure out what he had hit. He heard someone not his hikari moan in the darkness, and he reached into his lighter half's robes for his wand.

"Lumos!" he exclaimed, the tip of the golden wand coming to light immediately. What he saw, however, was not what the pharaoh was expecting.

"Snape!" Yami Yugi exclaimed, hardly believing it. The Potions Master was sprawled out in front of him, bits of his body missing, allowing the pharaoh to see through to the dry ground. In various places, he could see the folds from the reverse side of Harry's invisibility cloak – the side that could be seen by conventional means. Yami Yugi felt like hitting himself. They had been so worried about getting into the Whomping Willow; they had forgotten the invisibility cloak.

Snape stood up first, leering down at the pharaoh.

"My, my, isn't this convenient," he sneered. "Not only do I get to capture Black, but I get the opportunity to expel all of you."

"Back off, Snape," Yami Yugi growled, "or I'll imprison you in your own madness this time."

"Threatening your teacher isn't very wise," Snape snarled, practically looming over the short spirit.

"Just because my aibou has the unfortunate title of 'your student' does _not_ make _you_ my teacher," Yami Yugi returned, matching his tone.

The two of them stood in the tunnel, glaring at each other, trying to make the other back down just with the power of their gaze. Reality brought them out of their glaring contest, as Yugi moaned and unconsciously gripped at his darker half's shirt. Snape snarled one last time, before turning back toward the Shrieking Shack's entrance.

"Take him to the hospital wing," he snapped, walking away. "I'll deal with you later."

"Snape!" Yami Yugi called after him sternly, making the professor stop in his tracks. "Don't let the hate of the past override your judgment!"

Snape growled again, before grabbing up the invisibility cloak and sweeping it about his shoulders once more. The pharaoh waited until the Potions Master was out of sight, before heading back down toward the school.

-.oOOo.-

Harry sat on the floor of the Shrieking Shack, surrounded by his friends, staring up at Lupin. The werewolf professor had just finished explaining how everything had started. How the other "Marauders" – Black, Pettigrew, and Harry's father – would illegally transform into animals anytime Lupin would change to his wolf form. How, together, they would roam about Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, getting into more trouble than anyone their age had any right to. How, because of Black, the Whomping Willow would have killed Snape if it were not for Harry's father.

"No wonder he hates your guts," Marik commented once he finished. Lupin just smirked.

"This is all just dandy," Yami Bakura replied, bored out of his mind. "But how about some proof that Scabbers is really a human…?"

Everyone turned their focus to the rat still struggling in Ron's grasp as a creaking sound came from behind the door. Draco turned in the direction of the noise.

"What was that?" he asked.

Black waved a dismissive hand. "Just the shack settling. Now," he continued, turning to Ron, "I've waited long enough. Hand over the rat."

Ron did the opposite, however. He held on tighter to Scabbers and took a step away from him. Lupin sighed patiently, before stepping in front of Black and reaching out a hand toward the protective red head.

"Ron, how about this," he said, "I'll force him to show himself first. If he's really a rat it won't harm him."

Hesitantly, Ron agreed, transferring the squirming rat to the professor's hand. If possible, Scabbers started struggling even more, squealing to be released. Lupin would have none of that, however; he kept a tight grip on the rat with one hand and his wand in the other. He counted off to three, and suddenly a flash of bluish white light burst from his wand. For a moment, Scabbers was suspended in the air, twitching madly, before he fell to the ground. Another blinding flash followed, and suddenly it was like they were all watching a tree growing at super speed. A head shot up from the ground, arms and legs sprouted; and before the befuddled students knew what happened, another man was standing before them, cringing and wringing his hands in nervousness. Crookshanks was snarling from where he was on the bed, the hairs on his back standing on end.

The man that appeared was very short, barely a few inches taller than Yugi was. He had a bit of a shrunken appearance, as if he had lost a lot of weight in a very short amount of time. His hair was thinning and colorless, and he had a bald spot at the top. A bit of Scabbers face remained, as he had a bit of a pointed nose and very small eyes.

"Well, hello, Peter," Lupin said casually, as if he were used to rats suddenly turning into people. "Pleasure to see you again."

"S-Sirius… R-Remus…" Pettigrew stammered, his voice squeaky. "My… my old friends…"

Black took a threatening step forward, but Lupin held out an arm, keeping him back.

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about how Lily and James died," Lupin said. "Maybe you'd like to clear some things up for us."

"Remus!" Pettigrew exclaimed. "You don't believe _him,_ do you? He tried to kill me! That's why I've been hiding as a rat all this time –"

"You weren't hiding as a rat because of _me,_ Peter," Black stated, cutting him off. "You were hiding from the Death Eaters. I heard things in Azkaban, dear Peter; _they_ think the double-crosser double-crossed Voldemort. Your old master went to Lily and James's on your information, and he didn't come back. They all think you're dead… and not all of them are in Azkaban, are they? If those that are still out and about in society ever caught wind that you were still alive, you wouldn't have a prayer!"

Pettigrew was mumbling distractedly, but Harry could not help but notice he kept looking toward the windows and the door.

"Lily and James only made you Secret Keeper because I insisted," Black continued, looming over the former rat. "I was their obvious choice, but no one would have expected them to give their lives to a weak man like you. It must have been the finest moment of your life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters. Now this time, all you had to do was wait for Voldemort to come back into power, and then deliver to him the last Potter. If you gave him Harry, you'd be welcome back with open arms."

Pettigrew was shaking in fear, and he was not the only one. Harry turned his gaze up for a moment at Draco, who had given a barely audible squeak at Black's last few statements. Apparently, he knew what it would mean if the former rat was welcomed back with the other Death Eaters. Harry turned his gaze back down to the scene before him, to see that Black was staring at him.

"Harry, please believe me when I say that I never betrayed Lily and James," Black said, his eyes watering slightly. "Please believe that I would rather die than betray them."

Harry, too full of emotion from finally knowing what led to his parent's deaths, could only nod his understanding.

"No!" Pettigrew shouted, falling to his knees as if Harry had signed his death sentence. He crawled forward on his knees, groveling at Sirius's feet

"Sirius, it's me! It's Peter, your friend! You wouldn't…!"

Black kicked out at him, making him recoil.

"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," he snapped.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, shuffling toward Lupin, his expression alone imploring him. "You don't believe this…! Wouldn't Sirius have told you he changed the plan?"

Lupin just looked casually over to Black. "I think now we can kill him…"

Pettigrew squeaked again, before scrambling toward Ron.

"Ron! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet?" he asked.

Ron just stared at him in revulsion. "I let you sleep in my _bed!"_ he exclaimed.

"Kind boy… kind master…" the former rat continued, crawling closer as Ron backed away. "You wouldn't let them…? I was your rat; a good pet –"

"If you make a better rat than a human, that doesn't help you much," Yami Bakura replied dryly. "C'mon, you make even someone as low as _me_ look like a nice guy."

Pettigrew whirled around on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes.

"Sweet girl… clever girl…" he implored. "You wouldn't let them –"

He never got to finish, as Marik kicked him squarely in the shoulder. Pettigrew landed on the dusty floor with a surprised squeak.

"Keep your hands off my girlfriend," the Egyptian warned, pulling her away from him for good measure.

Pettigrew turned his gaze to Draco, more than a little frantic. "Kind boy… you know what Death Eaters do to people…!"

"And you deserve every nail and hammer," Draco replied crossly.

The former rat somehow climbed back to his knees, trembling uncontrollably as he knelt before Harry.

"Harry… Harry…" he begged. "You look just like your father… just like him –"

_"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY!" _Black roared. "How dare you face him! How dare you talk about James in front of him!"

"Enough of this," Lupin declared, focusing his wand on Pettigrew. "I'll end this right now."

Harry somehow found the motivation to move then. He stood in front of Pettigrew and under Lupin's wand, blocking any kind of attack to the former rat.

"No, professor, Sirius, I can't let you do that!" he declared.

"Harry, this piece of filth is the reason you have no parents!" Black protested.

"I know that," Harry began, "but… I don't think my father would have wanted his two best friends to become murders over scum like him."

That got Lupin to lower his wand, however a bit uncertainly.

"We'll take him back to the castle," Harry continued. "We'll hand him over to the dementors, and he can be the one who goes back to Azkaban."

Pettigrew threw his arms around Harry's knees in relief. "Harry! Kind boy… it's more than I deserve…!"

"Get off me," Harry spat, kicking the vile man's hands away from him as best he could.

Yami Bakura gave the former rat a disgusted look. "Lets go and catch up with the pharaoh before he starts kissing Harry's ass."

-.oOOo.-

It had to be the strangest set up of people ever to be seen in either Hogwarts or Hogsmeade; at least that was what Snape thought as he invisibly followed Lupin, Black, Harry and the others as they "escorted" Pettigrew back to the castle. Needless to say, it had been quite a shock to see the mousiest member of the old Marauders suddenly appear from Wesley's rat.

Said former rat was now bound at the wrists and ankles, being pulled along down the tunnel by both Ron and Lupin. Draco and Yami Bakura were directly behind them, keeping a close eye on Pettigrew. Marik and Hermione came next, and Harry and Sirius brought up the rear, talking quietly to one another. Snape caught snippets of their conversation, something about Black being his guardian or something that got Harry all excited. The Potions Master did not really care; he was more concerned with the fact that they had finally reached the end of the tunnel.

Crookshanks crawled out of the hole in the Whomping Willow first, planting his large paws on the knot on the tree's trunk. The others crawled out once the tree was tame, with Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew having to angle themselves sideways in order to fit. Snape followed close behind, so close in fact that when the group suddenly stopped dead in their tracks, he almost collided with Harry.

A light suddenly bathed the grounds of the school that made the invisible professor look up and nearly curse out loud, suddenly reminded of _why_ he had descended into the hole within the Whomping Willow in the first place. All throughout the year, Lupin had been taking the Wolfsbane Potion, a potion that more or less helped him retain his human mind during the light of the full moon. He had been on his way to deliver it to him when he found his office empty.

This was not good.

Before anyone out of the group of students could grasp what was going on, Lupin was already halfway through his transformation. In the next instant, a snarling werewolf was standing where he had been, his long jaws snapping hungrily. Soon after, Black had also disappeared, a large black dog taking his place.

The two animals starting battling fiercely, jaws and claws locked in their death match. Harry stood rooted to where he had stopped, transfixed by the sight. The only thing that brought him out of it was Hermione's scream, and he turned to see Pettigrew diving for Lupin's discarded wand, dragging a caught off guard Ron along with him. There was a bang and a flash of light, and suddenly Ron was unconscious on the ground. Another bang followed, and Crookshanks went flying through the air.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled, waving his own wand. Lupin's wand went flying into the air and out of sight, but that was not their only problem.

"Oh no you don't!" Draco exclaimed, but it was too late. Even as he dived for Pettigrew, the man had already transformed back to a rat. He went scurrying through the grass, with Draco hot on his bald tail as he headed for the forbidden forest.

Before anyone could say anything, there was a howl and a rumbling growl, and the werewolf Lupin and the dog Sirius took off toward the forest as well, angling more toward Hagrid's house.

Yami Bakura smacked himself in the forehead, hardly believing their misfortune. What else could go wrong tonight?

"I'm going after Draco," he declared suddenly, turning to the three other people out of their group that were left standing. "One of you stay with Ron, the other two go help Black."

Not waiting for a reply, the tomb robber headed off to where, in the distance, he could barely make Draco out as he headed into the forbidden forest. He ran as fast as he could toward the forest, cursing the young English boy for not thinking before running after the rat. Yami Bakura had just reached the edge of the dark forest when the voice of his lighter half made him stop.

_Bakura! Look; the others…! _

Yami Bakura turned to see at least a dozen dementors closing in on the distant forms of Black, Harry, and Hermione. The tomb robber paused his pursuit, waiting with baited breath… but his focus had been diverted to the lake not that far away from them.

"C'mon, Harry-kun…" he muttered under his breath. "C'mon…!"

As if answering his plea, a burst of sparkling white light surged forth from the opposite side of the shore from the dementors. It took the form of a stag, galloping toward the vile creatures, shaking its horns at them threateningly. The dementors scattered at the sight of it, bringing a satisfied smirk to the tomb robber's face. He was about to turn and head into the forest, assured that everything would be okay, when Ryou's voice came again.

_Yami… they're coming toward us! _

Yami Bakura whirled around, to see at least three or four dementors heading his way. It was not nearly as many as had just been chased away by the stag, but he had yet to find a happy thought in order to conjure up a functioning patronus.

Seeing no other method of escape, the tomb robber readied himself, taking out his hikari's wand and thanking whatever gods that were really out there that his lighter half always kept the stick of wood in his back pocket. Taking several deep breaths, he ignored the creeping icy feeling that started crawling up his back and focused back on the Quidditch Final, and how happy he had been when Harry had grabbed the Snitch right out from in front of Ecillia, effectively taking that annoying girl down a few notches. With that thought of triumph clearly imprinted in his mind, Yami Bakura raised his wand high…

_"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_ he bellowed…

Nothing… not even a flicker.

"Ra damn it all!" Yami Bakura shouted, feeling like tossing the infernal stick at the dementors and seeing if that would do the job. He did not have long to dwell on it, as that crawling cold was turning into a full out arctic wind, chilling his insides to the very core. Then, the screaming voices starting ringing in his head again, bringing the tomb robber to his knees.

"No…" he moaned as the dreaded creatures got closer. "No… not again… go away…!"

Suddenly the voices stopped, and slight warmth wrapping around him made Yami Bakura snap out of it with a start. He turned slightly to see the spirit form of Ryou Bakura holding onto him, encircling him in the light of his innocence.

_Bakura, snap out of it!_ he implored through their mental link. _I know you've had a hard life, but you can't give up. If you don't have any happy memories that can help you conjure a patronus, than use some of mine! _

Yami Bakura looked from the spirit of his hikari to the dementors, who strangely seemed to be licking their lips at the thought of a double meal (assuming they even _had_ lips).

_Beats the alternative,_ he replied. _What d'ya got for me? _

Bakura thought for a moment, before an image started to fill the dark spirit's mind…

_Bakura sat alone in his quarters, having just reappeared from wherever it was his body had disappeared to. It felt good to be back and away from that cold, dark place; but something just was not right, something was seriously out of place. _

_Suddenly, there was a knock on his door, and Yugi came walking into the room. The others stood behind him out in the hallway, even that boy Marik that his yami had talked to back in that alleyway. The smaller boy bounded up to him excitedly, giving him a happy hug. _

_"Bakura-kun!" Yugi exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're all right!" _

_Bakura smiled slightly. "Arigatou, Yugi-kun, but…" he trailed off a moment, before asking, "Do you have my Ring?" _

_Jonouchi made a weird sound from out in the hallway. "Why the _hell_ would you want that thing back?" _

_"Jonouchi!" Anzu yelled at him. _

_Yugi, in the meantime, gave Bakura a strange look, as if he himself could not understand why he would ask for the Millennium Ring back. After a moment, he took the Item out from his back pocket and held it out for the white haired boy to take. Bakura did so willingly, slipping the leather strap around his neck, a small smile coming to his face… _

Yami Bakura blinked as the flashback faded away from his mind.

_"That_ was your happiest memory!" he exclaimed aloud, looking at his lighter self as if he had grown another head. Bakura just smiled broadly in response.

_Of course! _he replied. _Because, I had you back, and I was complete again. You may be annoying, and selfish, and stuck up, and a kleptomaniac… but you complete my soul, and I wouldn't have it any other way. _

Despite the impending threat from the dementors, Yami Bakura let that statement mull over in his mind. A slow, satisfied smirk eventually crept its way onto his face.

_You're definitely a strange one… aibou. _

Bakura's spirit practically beamed as the tomb robber got back to his feet.

"All right!" the tomb robber exclaimed, pushing up shirtsleeves that were not there. "No more sentimental crap!"

Yami Bakura waved his wand once more. "Expecto Patronum!"

For a moment, it looked like the tip of his wand exploded. A silvery white light burst forth from the magical stick, hovering before him slightly, before taking the shape of a woman with long hair and dressed in a flowing robe. She hunched over slightly, spreading her wings – a devil wing on the tomb robber's right, an angel wing on his left – before shooting off straight for the dementors. The vile creatures panicked, before taking off as if they had never been. The patronus Yami Bakura had summoned hovered above the ground for a bit, looking down on the tomb robber and the spirit of his hikari, before vanishing into the night.

Change of Heart.

Yami Bakura smirked; it figured. He twirled the wand between his fingers, before looking at the stick. He could not resist…

"Now that's _my_ boomstick," he declared. Bakura's spirit sweatdropped, before falling over in embarrassment.

_No more American movies for you! _

Yami Bakura laughed out loud, before turning to more serious matters. Namely, the fact that Draco was probably _still _in the forbidden forest. There was no way the tomb robber would be able to track him now, not without the Millennium Ring to help him. Hopefully, Draco would be able to take care of himself. He sighed, before looking down at his hikari.

"Get back in your Soul Room, and lets go find the others."

-.oOOo.-

Draco winced as he almost got smacked in the face by a twisted stray branch. He stopped his run through the forbidden forest a moment, mostly to regain his breath, but also to think. Pettigrew had disappeared from his sight a while ago, and common sense told him to turn around before he got lost, but he just could not do it. They had finally caught the person who had _really_ killed the Potters; he was not about to let him get away clean.

He was about to head forward again, when a hissing sound caught his attention. He looked up to see a snake hanging down from a branch, staring down at him curiously.

"Have you seen a rat that is not a rat?" Draco asked the snake in Parseltongue, suddenly very grateful he could speak the language. The snake cocked its head, obviously not used to humans talking to it in its native tongue.

"I have ssseen many rrratsss," the snake replied, "but only one sssuch as you ssspeak of."

"Show me where he went!" Draco exclaimed, excited. The snake dropped from its branch, slithering over to where he was standing, its tongue flicking out at the ground.

"Thisss way!" it exclaimed, slithering off into the underbrush.

Draco followed close behind, careful not to step on his new guide as he plowed along. They traveled this way for a few good minutes, before the snake suddenly stopped, raising itself up into the air slightly.

"The trrrail endsss herrre," it declared.

Draco looked around, confused. "So where is he?"

As if in answer to his question, a hand suddenly wrapped itself around his neck before slamming him up against a tree and holding him there. Draco blinked back stars, trying to pry the hand away with his fingers as he glared down as his captor. Pettigrew smirked slightly, his rat-like eyes glittering in the moonlight.

"Do you honestly think I would return to my master without something to cool his anger at my absence?" he asked

Draco kicked out at him, but somehow he missed.

"You may as well just kill me here!" he exclaimed. "No matter what your buddies may try to do, I'll never give any information to the Death Eaters, nor will I join them!"

Pettigrew clicked his tongue mockingly. "My dear boy… whoever said the Death Eaters were interested in _you?" _

Draco was about to demand what he meant by that, when something was suddenly shoved violently into his chest. He gasped in pain, feeling like his heart was being ripped apart. No – more accurately – it felt as if his very soul was being torn in two…

…and then he knew nothing else…


	18. Secret of the Tauk

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – SECRET OF THE TAUK**

"Shocking business… shocking… miracle none of them died… never heard the like… by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape…"

"Thank you, Minister."

Harry woke up groggily to the sound of two men talking. It took his brain a moment to process whom they were, but soon he realized it was Snape and Cornelius Fudge. He slowly opened his eyes, only to see the world had been blurred; someone had removed his glasses. Groping around, he finally located his glasses and immediately put them on his face.

The hospital wing of the school came into focus, and he was able to see he was lying in a bed toward the end of the ward. He looked off to the side to see that Madam Pomfrey was hunched over another bed, and Harry could just make out Ron's flaming red hair. Across from him, Yugi was lying, still unconscious, with Yami Yugi sitting next to him, holding his hand while looking like he was going to fall asleep any moment. Harry looked off to his other side, to see that Hermione was just starting to wake up as well. Yami Bakura was sitting next to her bed, his legs propped up on another chair and his head tilted to the side, as if he had just slipped into a light doze. Marik and Draco were nowhere in sight.

Madam Pomfrey was now walking toward Harry, carrying a large block of chocolate that seemed more like a small boulder.

"Good, you're awake," she said, setting the chocolate down on the stand where his glasses had been. She started to break it apart with a small hammer as Harry sat up a bit in bed.

"How are Ron and Yugi?" he and Hermione asked at the same time.

"They'll live," the nurse replied grimly. "As for you two… Well, you're staying here until I'm sure you – Potter, what are you doing?"

Harry had grabbed his wand from where it was resting on the nightstand while she was speaking. Now he was attempting to get out of bed, but he was not having much luck.

"I need to talk to the headmaster," he explained, trying to get his legs to cooperate with him.

"Oh, Potter," Madam Pomfrey said soothingly, "it's all right now. They've got Black. He's locked away up in Professor Flitwick's office, and the dementors will be performing the kiss any moment –"

_"WHAT!" _

Harry's legs finally decided to work for him, and he jumped out of bed. There was a thud and a snort following his shout, and he turned slightly to see that Yami Bakura had sputtered awake, falling off his chairs as he did so. His shout had also distracted the people in the hallway, and in the next second Fudge and Snape entered the ward.

"Goodness, Harry, what's all this?" the Minister asked. "You should be in bed!"

"Minister, listen!" Harry exclaimed. "Black's innocent! Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight and –"

Fudge, however, was just shaking his head. "Harry, you've been through a very tough ordeal. Lie back down, now, we've got everything under control –"

_"YOU HAVEN'T!" _Harry bellowed. _"YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!" _

"Minister, please listen!" Hermione pleaded. "It did happen as Harry says it did!"

"Yeah!" Yami Bakura added in, finally standing up from when he fell. "He was an Animagus, that Pettigrew guy, and he was Ron's rat, and –"

"You see, Minister?" Snape interrupted. "Confunded, all of them. Black's done quite a job on them."

Yami Bakura looked insulted. Harry was beyond furious.

"We are _not_ Confun—"

He did not get a chance to finish, as Madam Pomfrey stuffed a wad of chocolate in his mouth. He gagged slightly, and she took that opportunity to push him back into bed. Yami Yugi, in the meantime, had stood up from his seat, glaring daggers at Snape.

"What did I tell you, Snape?" he demanded. "Don't let the past override your judgment!"

Snape returned the glare easily enough. "I don't recall asking for your advice."

Yami Yugi backed up a moment, temporarily stung by that. Yami Bakura snarled, pointing an accusing finger at Snape.

"Hey!" the tomb robber shouted. "Baka Snape! Just because his highness-ness is a pansy ass, doesn't mean you can just ignore his advice!"

Yami Yugi sweatdropped, trying to resist the urge to punch him. How he had managed to insult him and support him in the same sentence, he would never be able to guess.

"My goodness…" Fudge muttered. "Well, I must attend to the matters at hand. Professor Snape, I will speak with you later."

The Minister swept out of the room, leaving Snape behind. Madam Pomfrey waited, expecting the professor to leave as well, but he did not move.

"Pomfrey, I would like to speak with these children alone," he stated.

The nurse gave him a strange look, as if he grown another head, and she was not the only one giving him such an expression. She handed Hermione a piece of chocolate, before retreating from the ward. As soon as Madam Pomfrey was gone, Yami Yugi was in Snape's face, narrow amethysts eyes nearly flared red in his anger.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" he demanded, grabbing the Potion's Master by his robes and pulling him down to his eye level. "You were there! You saw everything that happened! And don't even try to tell me you missed it! Why the _hell_ did you lie!"

Yami Yugi had his fist raised toward the end of his rant, cocked and ready to punch Snape. He would have gotten a chance to as well, if Yami Bakura had not come up behind, grabbed him, and pulled him away.

"Whoa, chill out, pharaoh," the tomb robber urged. Yami Yugi struggled against his grasp as Snape stood up straight, smoothing out his robes while glaring as the two spirits.

"I lied," he snarled, "because no one else would believe what really happened."

"So you _were_ there!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why didn't you do anything to help!"

Snape glared, but instead of answering her question, he tossed Harry his invisibility cloak.

"Just because no one believes, doesn't mean you can't do what you believe," he continued. "That's what Dumbledore wanted you to know. He would have told you himself, but he's too busy looking for young Mr. Malfoy to do so. I'm sure you can figure out what to do from here."

With that, he whirled on his heel and left the ward, leaving two confused teenagers and two confused spirits behind. Harry spoke first, finally swallowing the chocolate that had been stuffed into his mouth before doing so.

"Does anyone know what just happened?"

"My brain is still trying to process that," Yami Bakura said. "Gimme a few minutes."

Hermione, however, was not going to wait for the tomb robber. She tugged down her shirt a bit, pulling out the Millennium Tauk from its hiding place.

"Everyone, hold onto me," she ordered.

Yami Yugi blinked in confusion. "Hunh? Why?"

"Just do it."

Confused, the pharaoh, tomb robber, and Harry held onto Hermione's arms as she brought her hands up on either side of the Tauk. The Item flashed, and suddenly the ward disappeared into darkness. There was a feeling of falling backward through the inky blackness, the wind rushing through their ears…

Then, they were in the deserted entrance hall of the school, late afternoon sunlight streaming in through the windows. Harry looked around in confusion, before Hermione grabbed him and the two Egyptian spirits and pulled them into a broom closet. She put her ear to the door immediately, ignoring the three of them.

"Can someone please explain what –"

A strangled surprised gasp cut Yami Yugi off, and all four of them turned to see a familiar spiky white haired individual standing in the broom closet with them.

Yami Bakura looked from his three-hour-into-the-future self, Yami Yugi, Harry, Hermione, and back to his future self. The tomb robber blinked a few times, before putting his hands on his hips.

"You should have been able to figure this out!" past Yami Bakura accused.

"You do realize that I've already yelled at me for this, right?" future Yami Bakura pointed out.

"That doesn't stop me from yelling at you," past Yami Bakura replied smugly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to Hagrid's house."

Past Yami Bakura walked up to the door, pushing his way by the four of them. He listened at the door for a moment, before pushing it open and walking out casually. Hermione shut the door right away, before turning to the other three, who had utterly stunned and confused looks on their faces.

Harry turned to Yami Bakura. "You just yelled at yourself… literally," he said.

"No shit," the tomb robber said dryly. "C'mon, lets get out of here."

"Wait a minute," Yami Yugi objected. "What just happened?"

Yami Bakura smacked himself in the forehead. "You mean you haven't figured it out _yet?"_ he demanded. "Okay, pharaoh, here's the deal: remember that little argument we had awhile back, about what the Millennium Tauk can do? Well guess what? We're three hours in the past, and we have some people and some animals to save. So, if you don't mind, your highness-ness, get your royal ass in gear and lets go!"

Yami Yugi growled under his breath, before following Yami Bakura, Hermione, and Harry as they crept out into the front foyer and out onto the grounds of the school. The shadows were starting to lengthen as they slid into the slightly illuminated forbidden forest, creeping through the trees till they could see the pumpkin patch in the back of Hagrid's hut. Buckbeak was still there, pawing nervously at the ground.

"Why are we going for Buckbeak?" Harry asked.

"Do I really need to answer that?" Yami Bakura replied.

"Didn't Madam Pomfrey say that Black was being held in Flitwick's office?" Yami Yugi asked. "That's on a high level. We'll need something that can fly if we want to get to him without getting caught."

"So, do we grab him now?" Harry questioned.

"Not yet," Hermione answered. "We need to wait until the committee members see Buckbeak tied to the fence. Before that, they'll think Hagrid set him free."

"But that only gives us a minute!" Harry protested.

Yami Bakura turned to the younger wizard, his hair softening as Ryou Bakura took over his body.

"Don't worry, Harry-kun," Bakura said, smiling. "Buckbeak's familiar with me. He'll come quickly if I get him."

Before Harry could get the chance to reply, the door on the hut opened wide, revealing Hagrid. A brief moment passed, as if he was letting someone out.

"Go quick," Hagrid hissed as he started to close the door. "Don' listen…"

"This is weird," Harry stated, as all four of them watched indentations of feet in the grass retreat from the hut.

From within Hagrid's hut, a knocking sound came, and from their vantage point, they could easily hear the conversation that followed as the burly groundskeeper let in Fudge, Dumbledore, the executioner, and the committee member.

"Where is the beast?" Macnair the executioner demanded.

"Out-outside," Hagrid croaked.

Harry and Bakura pulled their heads out of sight as Macnair's ugly face appeared in the window. He stared out at Buckbeak, gave a satisfied nod, and retreated back into the hut.

As soon as the executioner was gone, Bakura emerged from his hiding place, keeping low as he quickly made his way toward the hippogriff, making sure he kept eye contact with Buckbeak the whole time. Once he got close enough, he bowed to the animal. As if sensing the urgency in the situation, Buckbeak bowed back quickly, pawing at the ground in his anxiousness to be freed. Bakura instantly went to the rope tying him to the fence and pulled the knot free before leading Buckbeak into the forest with the others. Yami Yugi, Harry, and Hermione bowed before the hippogriff – just in case – and he bowed back just as Hagrid's hut door opened with a bang. Silence followed as everyone held their breath… then…

"Where is it?" asked the committee member. "Where is the beast?"

"It was tied here!" the executioner said furiously. "I saw it! Just here!"

"How extraordinary," Dumbledore said, a humored tone in his voice. There was a curse, followed by a swish and a thud as Macnair threw his ax at the fence where Buckbeak had been tied. Yami Yugi and Bakura exchanged relieved looks, while the latter petted the hippogriff's beak.

One life saved, one more to go.

-.oOOo.-

Not long after they had witnessed themselves disappear down into the passage under the Whomping Willow; Harry, Yami Yugi, Hermione, and Bakura watched as Hagrid left his hut, drunk as a skunk and not really caring. They waited until he had retreated into the castle before they entered his hut together. Harry had suggested it, seeing as once they returned from the Shrieking Shack the werewolf Lupin would be heading toward the forbidden forest, and it would have been best if they were not in his way. Yami Yugi kept watch at the window, letting the others know when something important was happening outside.

"There I go with Yugi," he said, not long after settling into his spot. "You guys should be following soon after."

Sure enough, a few minutes later, they did follow, and a few seconds after that, Lupin turned into a werewolf and bounded off into the forest.

"I'm going to go back out there," Harry said suddenly, standing up from where he had been brooding in a corner. He left the hut before anyone could protest.

Hermione clucked her tongue in annoyance. "I hope he doesn't try to change the past or anything. That could really mess things up."

"Give him some credit, Hermione-chan," Bakura urged. "I'm sure he knows what he's do—"

"Whoa!" Yami Yugi suddenly exclaimed, pressing his face closer to the window. "Bakura-kun, Hermione-chan, look at that!"

The two of them joined the pharaoh at the window to behold an awesome sight. A strange, silvery animal was galloping across the lake, going toward a large cluster of creatures that could only be dementors. They watched as the stag charged at them, shaking its horns at them threateningly. The dementors scattered, and the stag returned to where it had come from… from a small bush across the lake.

"Harry!" Hermione groaned, pulling away from the window. "How could he…!"

"Because, he already did," Bakura said, soothingly. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs… I may be going out on a limb here, but I think Prongs just rode again tonight."

The three of them left the hut, pulling Buckbeak along with them, and joined a giddy Harry at his hiding spot behind the bush. Hermione chewed his ear out, before congratulating him on completing such an advanced spell. They hunched down and waited, watching as Snape revealed himself from under the invisibility cloak and carried Harry and Hermione away on stretchers. After that, they waited for what seemed like ages, before Macnair appeared at the door the castle.

"He's on his way to get the dementors," Yami Yugi hissed. "Now's our chance."

Bakura was already halfway to mounting Buckbeak. Harry was on right behind him, followed by Hermione and Yami Yugi. The hippogriff complained slightly at the weight, but Bakura whispered soothingly to the animal as he tied the other end of the rope to his collar, using it as reigns.

"Ready?" he asked. "You'd better hold on…"

With that said, Bakura nudged Buckbeak's sides with his heels. The hippogriff took off almost immediately, the weight of four people on his back not bothering him in the least. Hermione was holding onto Harry so tightly, he thought she was going to squeeze his upper half off.

"Oh… I don't like this…" she muttered.

"Oh… I _really_ don't like this…" Yami Yugi muttered. Turning back slightly, Bakura could see Yami Yugi holding onto Hermione just as tightly as she was holding onto Harry. In addition, the pharaoh's eyes were squeezed shut.

_Heh heh… Note to self: pharaoh does not like heights…_ Yami Bakura muttered in his mind.

_Hush you,_ Bakura replied, as his darker half chuckled to himself.

"There he is!" Harry exclaimed suddenly.

Bakura pulled back on the reigns, and Buckbeak came to a halt in the air, hovering slightly outside the window to Flitwick's office. Harry reached out once the hippogriffs wings went down and tapped on the glass. Black looked up, and his jaw dropped once he saw the four of them. He went up to the window and tried to push it open, only to discover it was locked.

Hermione pulled out her wand instantly. "Alohomora!"

The window opened instantly, and Black started to pull himself out.

"How did you…?"

"No time for a Q and A," Bakura said, trying to hold Buckbeak steady. "That executioner has gone to get the dementors!"

Not about to argue the point, Black pulled himself out of the window the whole way and slid onto the hippogriff behind Yami Yugi, who was still too busy holding onto Hermione to notice. Once he was safely on, Bakura dug his heels into Buckbeak again, and the hippogriff responded immediately, flying up to the top of the tower that housed Flitwick's office and coming to a landing on the battements.

Bakura, Harry, Hermione, and Yami Yugi (who was grateful to be back on solid ground) slid off of the hippogriff. Harry handed the reigns to Black.

"Sirius, you'd better go quick," he said. "The dementors will be at Flitwick's office any minute, and when they realize you're gone…"

"I know," Black said. "Harry, I…"

A long moment passed where the two of them just stared at each other, both of them thinking of what could have been had things not gone so horribly wrong.

"Go," Harry said finally.

Black nodded. "We'll see each other again," he stated. "You… you are truly your father's son, Harry…"

With that, Black squeezed Buckbeak's sides with his heels. The four of them watched as the enormous wings rose and fell once more, taking the hippogriff and its rider to places unknown…

-.oOOo.-

Snape was just about to close the door to the infirmary behind him, when he caught the sound of heavy breathing coming from nowhere. He looked around a moment, before rolling his eyes.

"The whole point of being invisible," he said to the air, "is to not be seen _and_ heard…"

"So sue us," came Yami Yugi's disembodied voice. "Do you know how fast we had to run to get down here before we disappeared?"

"No," Snape replied dryly, "nor do I wish to find out." The Potions Master looked back into the ward for a moment, before he announced, "You've just left. Get back in there."

Yami Yugi, Bakura, Hermione, and Harry breezed past him, only taking off the invisibility cloak once they were close to the beds they had technically only occupied a few seconds before. They plopped into their respective beds and chairs just as Snape slammed the door shut, and not a moment too soon. Madam Pomfrey came back as soon as the bang stopped echoing through the ward.

"Is the professor gone?" she asked haughtily. "May I tend to my patients now?"

Still elated from their success, Harry and Hermione were not going to argue with her. They ate their chocolate quietly, and were on their fourth piece when a loud angry moan came from upstairs.

"Goodness, what was that?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Sounded like a really pissed off dementor," Yami Yugi offered, tossing Harry, Hermione, and Bakura a wink. The three of them fought back a laugh as another moan sounded above them.

"Honestly, they're going to wake everyone up!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, heading toward the door.

Silence passed between the four of them for a long moment, before Harry's face broke out into a grin.

"We really did it, didn't we?" he asked. "We didn't just dream all that?"

Another moan came from above, and Bakura giggled. "I think you have all the proof you need, Harry-kun," he said, pointing up toward Flitwick's office.

Just then, there was yet another moan, only this one was closer to home. Yugi opened his eyes blearily, looking around before settling them on his other half. Yami Yugi hugged him warmly, grateful that he was awake again.

"Ne, mou hitori no boku…" he began. "What happened? Why are we all here?"

A lost look was exchanged between the four of them, before Bakura helped himself to some chocolate, throwing a piece to Yami Yugi to give to his hikari.

"You can explain it," he said, popping the piece into his mouth.

Yami Yugi opened his mouth, about ready to at least attempt to do just that, when the door to the ward banged open. Madam Pomfrey rushed back in, looking highly distressed. Marik, whose tanned face was shadowed with concern, quickly followed her. Lastly, Dumbledore rushed in, carrying something in his arms…

Yugi would have leapt out of bed if he knew his leg was repaired.

"Draco-kun!"

Dumbledore laid the still form of Draco Malfoy on a bed. The blonde boy was not moving, not even breathing… his skin as pale as death…


	19. The Dawn is Rising

**Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Balance**

**CHAPTER NINETEEN – THE DAWN IS RISING**

Marik plopped down tiredly next to his girlfriend as she and the others stared at Draco's lifeless body in utter shock. While Hermione and Harry were still unconscious, Dumbledore had asked him to use the Millennium Ring to help find the blonde boy. He never thought he would find him like this, though… never in a thousand years.

Dumbledore turned to Madam Pomfrey and requested that she fetch Professor Shadi for him. Marik did not understand how he was supposed to help, but he did not get a chance to ask.

"Doushite?" Yugi sobbed. "Why did that happen to Draco-kun? What happened?"

The little hikari pharaoh looked like he was going to cry any minute, and he was not the only one. Hermione had her head resting on Marik's shoulder, and he could feel that his cloak was already wet with her grief. Bakura had a lost look on his face, before he surprised everyone by standing up suddenly and going over to Draco. He felt around the lifeless body's pockets, before finally locating and pulling out his deck.

"Is that really necessary?" Marik asked, trying to figure out what he was doing. Bakura ignored him, however, shuffling through the cards, as if looking for something. Once he reached the last card, he stopped, a frown on his face.

"One's missing," he announced. "Diamond Dragon is missing."

The others were giving him strange looks, trying to figure out what that was supposed to do with anything. No one got a chance to ask, as the door opened and Madam Pomfrey returned with Shadi in tow. The Egyptian immediately went to the bed Draco was lying on, white robes whispering about him as he made his way through the ward. He stopped at the foot of the bed, a frown creasing his face.

"I feared this would happen," he said softly. "I tried to give him the Scales before it did, but he just didn't understand."

"Well, maybe if you weren't so damn cryptic…" Marik muttered under his breath.

Whether Shadi heard him or not, he could not tell. Either way, the white robed Egyptian did not respond as he reached into his robes and pulled out the golden Millennium Scale. He placed the Item on Draco's chest and wrapped one of the boy's lifeless hands around the shaft, before sweeping about and leaving the ward. Just as the door shut behind him, the Item came to life; issuing such a blinding light that everyone had to shield their eyes. The light soon died, returning the ward to normal except for one thing…

Draco's eyes were open.

The pale blonde boy sat up in bed, still holding onto the Scale, looking around at the others blearily. He held onto his head, as if to stop his world from spinning around as he took in their shocked expressions.

"Guys…" he began. "What the bloody hell just happened?"

Silence reigned in the ward for a good long moment. Then, with a cry of happiness, Yugi practically launched himself from his bed, once broken leg forgotten about, and wrapped Draco in a grateful hug. The others that were awake (Ron was still passed out cold) followed soon after, crowding around the confused boy while Dumbledore watched with a small smile on his face.

-.oOOo.-

Harry yawned lazily as he made his way about the grounds of Hogwarts. Nearly a week had passed since their escapade in the Shrieking Shack. The dementors had finally been forced to leave the school, and Ecillia was walking around more sour than ever because Buckbeak had escaped as well as Black. Anyone who even got near her in the halls was taking a gamble, as she was likely to lash out at a person if they even sneezed the wrong way. The plus side of it all was that Hagrid was in better spirits (no pun intended), and that was all that mattered to Harry and the others.

Ecillia did get _some_ satisfaction out of what happened at the Shack. Snape, sour about having to have allowed Harry and the others set Black free, "accidentally" let slip to his class that Lupin was a werewolf. Everyone was mad at him for that; even _Hermione_ wanted to let Aishisu send him to the Shadow Realm. Now the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher they had ever had was leaving of his own free will, afraid of what the parents would say if they knew their child was being taught by a werewolf. Harry had just got back from saying goodbye to him, during which Lupin had returned the Marauder's Map.

"Now, Harry," he had said with a wink, "I don't want to hear that you got in trouble with this."

Harry rounded the greenhouses, where he saw Draco hunched over on his heels, face to face with a fairly large garden snake. Grinning, he approached the other boy, making sure he heard him.

"Having an interesting conversation?" he asked, grinning.

Draco only frowned, however. "Actually… no," he replied, standing up. "I can't speak Parseltongue any more."

Harry blinked, surprised. "Hunh? Why?"

"I dunno," Draco replied with a shrug. "I spoke it just fine when I was in the forest, before Pettigrew grabbed me." He paused a moment, thinking. "It felt like… like he had taken something away from me. Maybe that's why."

Harry scrunched his face up in thought, trying to think of what Pettigrew would want from Draco. Nothing came to mind, however.

"Anyway," Draco continued, brightening up a bit, "are you guys going to come to Battle City this year? Seto said last year that he would provide you transportation if you wanted to."

Harry grinned. "Nah, not this year. I promised Ron I'd go with him to the Quidditch World Cup."

Draco crossed his arms. "Oh, darn, that _is_ this year, isn't it? Shoot! And I'm practically going to be on the other side of the world! Awwww…"

He thudded his head against the side of one of the greenhouses in frustration as Harry laughed. Grinning, he grabbed Draco by the arm and pulled him away from the wall.

"C'mon, Draco," he urged. "We still have to pack to leave tomorrow."

-.oOOo.-

**BEWD1025: **Mokuba's been doing a lot  
better since we last talked. He should be  
okay for going to England to pick all of you  
up.

Yugi grinned as he read Seto's instant message. He was spread out on his stomach on his four-poster bed, the laptop the young businessman let him borrow in front of him and his legs dangling up in the air behind him. Yami Yugi was flitting about, packing up his suitcases so they would be ready for the train ride back to King's Cross tomorrow. The pharaoh looked up as he sensed his little one's happiness, and could not help but smile himself.

"Good news, aibou?" he asked, pausing his packing to sit on the bed next to Yugi, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Hai!" Yugi replied as he started typing his response. "Mokuba-kun's going to be at King's Cross tomorrow with Seto-kun."

Yami Yugi blinked. "That is good news."

Yugi giggled at him as he sent his response.

**CardMage0604: **That's wonderful, Seto-  
kun. I can't wait to see the both of you  
again. It's almost been boring here without  
you.

"Boring?" Yami Yugi asked, raising an eyebrow. Yugi giggled again at his expression, and at Seto's almost immediate response, which exemplified the point.

**BEWD1025: **Somehow I sincerely doubt  
that…  
**CardMage0604: **XD  
**BEWD1025: **LOL! Anyway, I've got to  
go. Mokuba's got an appointment in a few  
minutes. The doctor has the last word on  
whether or not he's going to be there  
tomorrow.  
**CardMage0604: **OK! Ja ne, Seto-kun.  
**BEWD1025: **Ja ne, Yugi-kun.  
**BEWD1025 signed off at 2:40:18 PM. **

Yugi signed off and shut down the laptop as soon as he saw that Seto logged off. He was about to get up and finish packing, when he realized he could not move. Yami Yugi was still holding him about the waist, lying across him slightly so that his face was buried in his hair. Yugi giggled, nudging his chest with his elbow.

"C'mon, mou hitori no boku," he urged. "We've gotta finished packing."

Yami Yugi hummed slightly, snuggling a little closer to his aibou. "Just a little longer," he murmured. "Your hair smells nice."

Yugi could not help but laugh. "How would you know what my _hair_ smells like?" he teased. Yami Yugi lifted his head so he could look him in the eye.

"Don't know you know what your own hair smells like?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"Well, I don't exactly make a practice of sniffing my own hair," he replied.

Yugi took that opportunity to slip out from underneath his darker half and pick up packing where he had left off. Yami Yugi, however, was a bit concerned; he stood up, looking about the room for something, anything, to use as an experiment. Spotting Neville's Remembrall on the nightstand where he left it, the pharaoh went over to it and pointed it out to his hikari.

"Aibou, do you know what that feels like?"

Yugi looked up from his trunk, frowning slightly. "I dunno. I'd imagine it would feel like glass…"

His eyes went wider than normal as he understood what he other half was getting at. Yami Yugi nodded, before picking the Remembrall up. His aibou was right, it did feel like glass, cold and smooth to his touch. He ran his fingers over the gold detailing that encircled the tiny magical device, marveling at how going from the smoothness of the glass to the roughness of the gold felt under his observing digits.

The pharaoh felt something welling up deep in his chest. It was that same feeling he had, back when Yugi had completed the Puzzle what seemed like ages ago. It was the feeling of being born again, of being free after aeons of imprisonment. Only this time, it was not because he was conscious of the world about him again.

This time, it was because he could _feel._

He set the Remembrall back on the nightstand, his hand shaking, his breath even shakier. He could not even remember the last time he had felt anything, smelled anything, used any of the senses on his own without the mental assistance from his aibou. Even when he would take over Yugi's body, he still had to get his senses from his hikari's memories. Now… no more.

"Mou hitori no boku…?" Yugi began hesitantly, before dropping what he was doing to run over and hug him. Yami Yugi welcomed the contact, the sense of feeling, with open arms; he held onto his little one with all his might, as if he would never let him go again. The feeling of having his warm body pressed up against him, the wonderful smell that was his aibou tingling his nostrils… it was everything that a hug really was. It was everything he had missed out on for the past five thousand years.

"Mou hitori no boku, you're crying."

Indeed he was crying; though the tears were still not his to shed, he could feel their warmth trickling down his cheeks before falling away, disappearing once they left contact with his "body". Yugi reached up to wipe them away, and Yami Yugi took that opportunity to take his hand and keep it there against his cheek.

"Aibou," he murmured, his voice choked with emotion, "I don't understand why this is happening to me… but by Ra, if this is a second chance for me to live a full life, I swear that life will always be for you."

Yugi smiled warmly, feeling like he was going to cry himself. He slid the hand that Yami Yugi was holding around to the back of his other half's neck, pulling him down slightly to give him a tender kiss, returning that promise to him. Yami Yugi felt like his head was going to explode at the contact, his newly returned senses going into maximum overdrive. Yet at the same time, it was such a wonderful feeling of euphoria coursing though his veins; he never wanted it to end…

"Urk…!"

"Gah!"

Yugi and Yami Yugi broke apart and turned around just in time to see Harry and Draco's backs as they retreated down the stairs. Yugi's whole face went red in embarrassment as he wondered how he was supposed to expect those two to look at him with a straight face. Yami Yugi just sighed, slinking an arm about his little one's shoulders.

"Oops," he said, a bit of a goofy grin on his face.

-.oOOo.-

The trip home on the Hogwarts Express came the next day as promised, and soon they were all in their favorite compartment at the back of the train, playing games and talking while eating their favorite snacks. Harry was staring vacantly out the window, watching as the last view of the castle disappeared behind the mountain. It would be another two months until he saw it again, and already he was missing the place.

"Buck up, Harry," Ron said, offering him a chocolate frog. "Remember, you're going to be coming to the World Cup with me. You won't have to deal with those Dursleys all summer."

"That's true," Harry agreed, opening up the treat. Ron grinned.

"And, hey, before then, I could always give you a call," he offered. "I know how to use a fellytone now –"

"Tellyphone," Draco corrected.

_"Telephone,"_ Hermione stressed, exasperated. "Honestly, Draco, I would think you'd know how to pronounce it by now."

Bakura chuckled. "Hermione-chan, you're talking to someone who calls a TV a veletision."

Draco pouted, looking at the two of them sourly. "I'm working on it! Cut me a break!"

That helped brighten Harry's mood more than he had expected. He joined everyone in playing Duel Monsters, though after Yugi and Yami Yugi both won five rounds each, they were banned from playing. That did not stop them from playing against each other, which they attempted to do, though they were still tied sometime around lunch, at which time they decided a friendly "good job" would suffice before they all pounced on the witch with the tea cart and grabbed themselves a big lunch.

The best surprise arrived some time around mid afternoon, when they were closing in on London. Marik looked up to see something fluttering outside the window. He pointed it out to Harry, who opened it up, allowing a small owl into the compartment. The bird dropped an envelope that was far too big for it onto his lap, before zipping about the compartment happily, pleased with its accomplishment. Hedwig and Panseru clicked their beaks disapprovingly (Bakura's owl, Talia, was still sleeping), while Rishid and Crookshanks watched it from where they were lounging on the floor. Ron reached up and grabbed the tiny animal before it became cat food.

"Hey, it's from Sirius!" Harry exclaimed, having already opened up the letter.

A chorus of the words, "What? Read it!" in three different languages went through the compartment.

_Dear Harry, _

_I hope this letter finds you before you reach your  
aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used  
to owl post. _

_Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you  
where, in case this owl falls into the wrong hands.  
I have some doubt about his reliability, but he is  
the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the  
job. _

_I believe the dementors are still searching for  
me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here. I  
am planning to allow some muggles to glimpse me  
soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the  
security on the castle will be lifted. _

_There is something I never got around to telling  
you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you  
the Firebolt. Crookshanks took the order to the  
Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them  
to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault.  
Please consider it as thirteen birthday's worth of  
presents from your godfather. _

_I would also like to apologize for the fright I  
think I gave you that night last year when you left  
your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a  
glimpse of you before starting my journey north,  
but I think the sight of me alarmed you. _

_I am enclosing something else for you, which I  
think will make your next year at Hogwarts more  
enjoyable. _

_If you ever need me, send word. Your owl will  
find me. _

_I'll write again soon.  
__Sirius _

Harry turned the envelope upside down and shook out a small piece of paper with a simple note on it, granting him permission to go to Hogsmeade next year.

"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore, that's for sure!" Bakura exclaimed.

"And see?" Hermione asked. "I told you Black sent that broom!"

"Yeah, Hermi-chan, but it wasn't jinxed, now was it?" Marik asked teasingly, just as Ron let out a yelp. The hyper owl he was holding had nipped his fingers.

"Hey, hang on, there's a PS…" Harry said.

_I thought your friend Ron might like to keep  
this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat. _

Ron blinked. "Keep him? For real?" He paused a moment, before holding out the small owl for Crookshanks to sniff. "What do you think? Definitely an owl?"

The cat purred.

"Then that's good enough for me," Ron said happily, cuddling the small animal. "He's mine!"

The ride continued on much in the same way as it always did, and before anyone knew it, they were pulling on their muggle cloths and leaving the train with their luggage, with Yami Yugi retreating back into the Puzzle before they left. It took a while as always to get out from platform nine and three quarters, but once they did, they were in for a treat.

"Oy! Yugi-kun! Everyone!" Seto called from where he was standing next to the board showing the arrival and departure times. Standing next to him, holding his hand tightly, was his little brother, Mokuba. He had grown a bit over the year, and his once long black hair was cropped short, obviously because of surgery.

That was not what was important though. What mattered was that he was still alive.

Marik went up to the little Kaiba, giving him a hug before lifting him up onto his shoulder. Tried to put him on his shoulder, anyway; everyone laughed at the stressed look that appeared on the Egyptian's face when he realized that with height comes extra weight.

"You get any taller and you'll be able to crush me," he said, setting Mokuba back down on the ground again.

"So, how did it go after I left?" Seto asked Bakura as Yugi took his turn to hug his brother. "You guys get into trouble as usual?"

"It wouldn't have been a normal school year if we hadn't," Draco answered for Bakura, grinning.

Ron was suddenly tugged away by his brothers and sister, over to where their mother and father were waiting for them.

"Bye, you guys!" he called. "Harry, I'll give you a call this summer!"

"Bye Ron!" Harry shouted after him, just as he spotted his Uncle Vernon coming toward him.

"What's that in your hand?" his uncle demanded once he was close enough. "It better not be another bloody form for me to sign, or –"

"It's not," Harry cut him off, knowing that this was going to be good. "It's a letter from my godfather."

"But… but… you haven't _got_ a godfather!" Vernon sputtered.

"Yes, I have," Harry said brightly, grinning as he heard Marik sniggering behind him. "He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though… keep up with my news… check if I'm happy…"

The look of abject horror on his Uncle Vernon's face was beyond priceless. Even Hermione was trying not to laugh out loud, and Harry could have sworn he heard Yami Bakura and Yami Yugi howling with laughter from their respective Soul Rooms. As it was, their hikaris were red in the face from the chuckles they were trying to hold back. He turned to them a moment, a broad smile on his face.

"I'll see you all next year," he said happily.

"See you, Harry," Seto replied, the only one that did not look like he was about ready to bust out laughing any minute. "Hope you have a _very_ good summer," he continued with a small grin.

Harry could not help but return the grin. He already knew this summer was going to be _much_ better than the last…


End file.
